2025 Scholarships
Three Scholarship Opportunities
The recipients must be senior high school students who reside in South Dakota and are currently attending a South Dakota public, private, parochial high school or a home school program, and live in a township that is a current member of SDATAT. Graduates of the class of 2025 are eligible to be nominated for the scholarship. The student must use the scholarship for a college, university, or vocational school which has a physical presence in South Dakota.
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The South Dakota Association of Towns & Townships is offering one $1500, one $1000, and one $500 scholarship. Applicants must complete an application form and submit it along with their essay on this year’s topic: Cultral values have become an Important topic of discussion in the United States and our world. What are your thoughts on this trend? Identify some of those cultural trends and its effect on you. After interviewing someone that has helped develop your personal values, share you thoughts. Discuss what actions you can take to positively impact your local government and South Dakota.
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​​​About the SDATAT Scholarship Program. . .
When did it begin?
The SDATAT Scholarship program was started in 2003 and began as two separate $500 scholarships, then was revised the following year to award a single $1000 award. In 2013 it was once again revised to be one $1000 and one $500 scholarship. In 2024, the program was revised again to be one $1500, one $1000, and $500 scholarship.
Who can apply?
Any senior high school student who resides in South Dakota and is currently attending a South Dakota public, private, parochial high school or home school program is eligible. The student must use the scholarship for a college, university, or vocational school which has a physical presence in South Dakota; and lives in a town or township that is a current member of SDATAT.
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What are some of the guidelines?
Essays must be no more than 500 words and must be typed with double spacing. Applicants can not name themselves, their school, town or township, or their local officials in the essay. Essays will be judged on originality, knowledge of subject matter in relationship to the title, correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation; and finally, the application may be accompanied by no more than two one-page support letters.
How are the winners chosen?
As the scholarships are received at the SDATAT Office, the Dep. Admin Director will go through each submission to be sure all the guidelines are met and disqualifying any that are not. The qualifying essays are numbered and then sent on to the Scholarship Committee. Only the essays are forwarded to the Scholarship Committee to assure anonymity. After the Scholarship Committee chooses a winner, the number is given to the Dep. Admin. Director, and the name is released.
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When and how is the scholarship paid?
The scholarship award will be paid to the appropriate financial aid office upon receipt of verification of enrollment at a South Dakota college, university or technical school in September of the winner’s second year of study.