Scholarships and Education Grants for Single Mothers in South Dakota

Where to start

1. Pick your school and start term. Ask if the degree or certificate is eligible for aid and whether you can take classes part time.
2. File the correct FAFSA. Add each school you may attend. Keep the confirmation and check if your school received it.
3. Ask about more than tuition. Tell financial aid about children, child care, books, supplies, a drop in income, and travel costs.
4. Check state and local awards. Match each scholarship to your age, course, grades, residency, and any work promise.
5. Plan your living costs. Ask early about child care, food help, travel aid, and bill support. This can help you stay in school.

What has changed

The 2027–28 FAFSA is open, so there are now two FAFSA years to choose from. The September 1 deadline for first-time fall 2026 Opportunity Scholarship applicants has passed; other start dates and transfers have different deadlines. South Dakota’s Child Care Assistance moved to BEES on August 3, 2026. The Hagen-Harvey scholarship now lists a February 28, 2027, deadline. Check each program’s own page before filing.

Quick aid table

Know the types of school aid

FAFSA and federal student aid

Choose the right FAFSA year

2026–27: For classes from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. It generally uses 2024 tax records. The final federal FAFSA deadline is June 30, 2027, but school and state aid deadlines can come much sooner. Confirm dates on the official deadline page.

2027–28: For classes from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028. This form is now open and generally uses 2025 tax records. The FAFSA instructions explain how to pick a year, invite a required contributor, and submit. For summer classes, ask the school which form applies. Do not assume last year’s FAFSA renews itself.

If your current pay is much less than the tax year shows, ask financial aid for a special-circumstances review, also called professional judgment. A school can review records of job loss, separation, lower income, or other changes; it decides what can be adjusted.

Federal Pell Grant

A Federal Pell Grant helps many students get through college. ASMOM’s FAFSA and Pell guide explains the basics. The 2026–27 maximum is $7,395. Your award can be lower based on income and family details, school costs, number of credits, and remaining Pell eligibility. The 2027–28 maximum has not yet been posted by Federal Student Aid, so do not use the older amount as a promise for that year.

Having children does not by itself guarantee Pell. The FAFSA may treat you as an independent student if your children get more than half of their support from you. Answer the actual questions, including who supports your children, rather than guessing.

FSEOG and Federal Work-Study

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Awards can be $100 to $4,000 a year, but the school must take part and have funds left. Ask the school whether you must meet an early priority deadline.

Federal Work-Study pays you for an eligible part-time job. Check its hours against your class and care schedule. It is not paid before you work. Ask how often the job pays you.

Ask about child care in your school budget

A school’s cost-of-attendance budget can include a reasonable child or dependent care allowance. Bring a written cost estimate and your class schedule. Ask the aid office if it can review your budget. A higher school budget does not mean you will get a higher grant, but it may affect the aid options the school can consider.

South Dakota scholarships and grants

Build Dakota Scholarship

The Build Dakota Scholarship offers full funding for approved, high-demand programs at South Dakota’s technical colleges. The award can cover tuition, fees, books, and required program costs. Adult students may apply. Apply through the college for an eligible full-time course. You do not need an industry partner to apply, but some courses require one before you can receive an award.

The next application window is January 1 through March 31, 2027. Recipients agree to live and work in South Dakota in their field for at least three years after graduation. Before accepting, ask what happens if you change schools or fields, cannot work as planned, or leave the state. Do not treat the award as free of conditions.

South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship

The Opportunity Scholarship can pay up to $7,500 over four years. It is for qualifying South Dakota high school graduates at eligible state colleges, universities, or technical colleges. Academic rules include high school coursework and an ACT/GPA path. Some applicants qualify through a higher ACT score without the coursework and GPA requirement. It is not a general adult-student grant.

The September 1, 2026 deadline for first-time fall starters has passed. First-time spring starters generally have a January 1 deadline (preferred September 1); transfer students have their own dates. The school and scholarship portal must confirm the right year and deadline. Recipients also have college credit and GPA rules to keep the award. Unlike Build Dakota, this award does not require work in South Dakota after graduation.

South Dakota Freedom Scholarship

The Freedom Scholarship helps South Dakota residents with financial need pursue a bachelor’s degree at a participating school. Applicants must generally have been state residents for at least one year, file FAFSA, and meet the school’s rules. There is no single statewide student application: ask the college aid office how it selects students.

Recipients must keep at least a 2.0 GPA, finish the degree within five years, and commit in writing to live and work in South Dakota for three years after graduation, with exceptions or waivers possible under program rules. If the pledge or other terms are broken, an award may become a loan. The program describes a fixed 4% interest rate if repayment applies. Read the note, repayment terms, and program FAQs before signing.

South Dakota Needs-Based Grant

The Board of Regents scholarship page lists campus-managed Needs-Based Scholarship Grants of about $500 to $2,000 for eligible students. Schools check FAFSA, unmet need, and other aid. Ask your school’s aid office whether it has funds, whether a second form is needed, and when awards are decided. The same income does not guarantee the same award at every school.

Dakota Corps and Critical Teaching Needs

South Dakota scholarship guidance lists Dakota Corps and Critical Teaching Needs. Both show a November 1–December 15 application window. Confirm the correct upcoming year in the scholarship portal.

Dakota Corps helps eligible recent South Dakota high school graduates enter approved shortage fields, such as nursing, certain teaching fields, engineering, and other listed careers. It can cover tuition and general fees. Academic, high school, citizenship, and timing rules apply. The work pledge is one year for each year funded, plus one more year.

Critical Teaching Needs is for eligible incoming college juniors and seniors in approved teaching programs. It has its own work and repayment terms. If you are changing careers later in life, ask whether the teaching program offers other scholarships or tuition help even if you do not meet these award rules.

Hagen-Harvey and tribal student aid

The official Hagen-Harvey Scholarship page lists a February 28, 2027 deadline; electronic submissions must arrive by 5 p.m. Central time. This scholarship supports eligible enrolled tribal members who graduated from a South Dakota high school and attend an accredited South Dakota college or technical school. It has enrollment, GPA, and timing rules. The state lists at least $1,000 in each of the first two years, $1,500 in the third year, and $2,500 in the fourth year, subject to approval and available awards.

Contact your tribe’s education office for separate scholarships and grants. The Bureau of Indian Education also lists Native student funding paths. Ask whether you need tribal enrollment proof, transcripts, a needs-analysis form, and a separate tribal deadline. A tribal scholarship is not the same as automatic federal aid.

Local scholarships and single-parent help

Your school’s own aid portal may list awards for adult learners, rural students, health-care trainees, parents, or people returning after a break. Also check employers, community groups, and local foundations. Do not assume a scholarship is open because it appears on an old list.

The state scholarship board gathers regional and statewide opportunities. The South Dakota Community Foundation says its scholarship portal opens September 15 and closes March 15; check the current cycle and each fund’s own rules before applying.

In western South Dakota, Uplifting Parents offers mentoring and financial resources for eligible single parents studying toward a degree or certificate. Its support may include a monthly stipend and one-to-one mentoring. Rules include parenting at least half the time (or being pregnant), taking at least six credits, and planning to finish within 24 months. It also requires prior study and other screening steps. Ask the program to screen you; this is not a statewide award for every parent.

Child care and basic benefits

Child Care Assistance while studying

South Dakota Child Care Assistance may help families with qualifying work or school activity pay an approved provider. Income and activity rules apply. The state may ask for class hours, pay records, provider details, and other proof. Families may have a copayment, so ask what your share could be before care starts.

The BEES child care system took effect August 3, 2026; it is no longer an upcoming change. Use the state’s current eligibility and application page for the online path and paper options. It lists income guidelines effective March 1, 2026, and the Child Care Services number 800-227-3020. Some relatives or in-home carers may be accepted if they meet safety and training rules. Ask whether your provider is approved and what happens if your term, hours, or care needs change.

For more on providers and activity rules, see ASMOM’s South Dakota child care guide.

SNAP, TANF, and other basic support

School aid does not replace food and cash benefits. SNAP may help eligible households buy food, but many college students face special student eligibility rules. Tell DSS about your child, class schedule, work, and household instead of assuming you are ineligible. Get today’s income and benefit amounts from the state, not an old chart.

South Dakota TANF offers temporary cash and work-related services to some families with children. Your classes may need to fit an approved work plan; ask before you change your schedule. ASMOM’s South Dakota TANF guide explains the benefit path, but confirm current rules directly with DSS.

For SNAP, TANF, medical coverage, and other help, start with the state economic assistance office. Ask about the current application method for each program because not every benefit uses the same form. If you need a ride to classes, ASMOM’s South Dakota transportation guide may help.

Job training aid and WIOA

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) can help eligible adults, laid-off workers, and young people get job services or training. Start with the South Dakota WIOA program and ask a Job Service worker to check your situation. The state also has an approved training list.

Ask about tuition, books, tests, tools, uniforms, and transportation before signing up or paying. A course on the list does not guarantee funding. Some work programs focus on high-demand fields that lead to a credential within two years.

Short-course Pell caution: South Dakota began taking school applications for the new Workforce Pell process in July 2026. The state said it expected to forward its first programs for federal review in November 2026. That is not proof that your course is already approved for Workforce Pell. Ask the school and Job Service what is approved now; the state Workforce Pell announcement explains the process.

School support beyond tuition

If you may stop school because of costs, ask before you withdraw. Different offices handle different problems:

• Financial aid: Grants, income reviews, dependent-care costs, loans, and work-study.
• Student services: Food pantry, child care referrals, tutoring, counseling, and laptop loans.
• Billing office: Payment plans, due dates, late fees, and holds.
• Academic advisor: A part-time or evening plan, online classes, course withdrawals, and progress rules.
• Job Service: Approved training, local job demand, and possible support costs.

Compare the whole cost: tuition, child care, work hours lost, gas, internet, books, clinical supplies, and fees. A smaller award at a nearby school may cost your family less than a larger award at a costly program.

Documents and details to gather

Keep forms, proof of any hardship, and submission receipts. Each program may ask for different proof.

If aid is denied, delayed, or too small

1. Read the notice. Find the exact reason and deadline. A scholarship decision, FAFSA problem, and benefit hearing have different procedures.
2. Check the FAFSA. See whether a signature, contributor, school, or document is missing. Keep your submission date.
3. Call financial aid. Ask if the school received your FAFSA and whether it needs more proof or a separate application.
4. Ask for a review. If income fell, ask about professional judgment. If grades or completed credits are the issue, ask for the school’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) appeal policy and deadline.
5. Ask for a backup. Seek other school aid, a payment plan, a lower-cost class path, child care help, or approved workforce training while the review is pending.

Do not assume filing an appeal stops a bill or keeps your class seat. Ask billing and financial aid how to protect enrollment during the review. For public benefits, use the appeal steps on the official DSS notice.

Phone scripts you can use