South Dakota Retailers Association Scholarship Program

The South Dakota Retailers Association has funded scholarships for students entering retail-related fields since 1992, awarding more than a quarter million dollars to date. In 2025 its Scholarship Committee gave five awards ranging from $3,000 to $3,875 to applicants who graduated from a South Dakota high school (or an SD GED program, or who plan to attend a South Dakota postsecondary school) and intend to enroll full-time in a retail-or-hospitality-related program -- a broad list spanning business, culinary arts, cosmetology, automotive technology, HVAC, computer science, and more. Applicants must also already hold 24+ college credits (or 12+ technical-college credits), have completed a high school ProStart culinary program, or be a non-traditional student with full-time work experience -- so most graduating seniors realistically qualify through the ProStart or work-experience path unless they already carry dual-enrollment credits. Previous recipients may reapply. The next cycle's application hasn't been posted yet; check the SDRA site for the updated timeline.

Eligibility

Fields of studyAccounting · Agribusiness · Apparel Merchandising · Auto Mechanics · Automotive Technology · Business Administration · Business Management · Collision Repair · Computer Science · Commercial Baking · Cosmetology · Culinary Arts · Diesel Mechanics · Electrical Maintenance · Entrepreneurial Studies · Gemology · Hotel/Restaurant Management · HVAC · Landscape Design · Pharmacy · Photography · Printing Industries · Sales/Marketing Management · Tourism Industry Management

DemographicsMust want a retail-related career and have graduated an SD high school/GED (or plan to attend an SD school); also needs 24+ college credits (12+ at a technical college), completed HS ProStart Levels 1-2, or full-time work experience as a non-traditional student.

Applying

Five awards given in 2025 ranged from $3,000 to $3,875; exact amounts vary by year and are set by the Scholarship Committee.