If you are a senior in high school it is hoped that you are at a point right now of knowing what you will do after your high school career ends. Do you know what you will be doing, what you will be studying and how you will pay for that training? Whatever the answer, have you researched the job market so you can be assured that your post-high investment is worth it? If you are a student waiting for graduation or the parent of that student, have you thought about how the career training will be paid for? Regardless of the choice made, what is the job market for you when you are done with your training?

If you have a plan in place and are thinking about the career options before you then the next step will not be so hard to take. However, if you are unsure of what comes next or certain you are not interested in a traditional four year college, then consider what a technical degree can do for you and your future? Technical schools in South Dakota have a lot to offer students now days along with lots of scholarship opportunities. If you are not interested in a four year education then seriously consider a one or two year decree that will produce a good paying job when you are done with your training. Please take a very serious look at the Build Dakota Scholarship Program. The scholarship has more than 70 different pathways for students who are career focused and looking for technical training that will lead you to a great paying career when you are done. The scholarship program offers students the chance to get excellent training, internships and a great paying job waiting at the end of the road along with no college debt to deal with. The scholarship provides all of the cost of tuition, books, fees, tools and computer. All that is left to pay for is food and housing, which can be addressed with the FAFSA application. As you can see the scholarship will save students thousands of educational dollars and the chance to start their life debt free.

How can this opportunity happen for a student? The first step for area students is to contact Dana Sanderson at ( 605-491-0804 ) as soon as possible to find out how this opportunity works and what needs to be done next. Community scholarship partners are waiting for students to apply. The Wagner Area and Build Dakota Partnership Scholarship and the Yankton Sioux Tribe and Build Dakota Partnership Scholarship are both offering scholarship funds for students seeking a technical degree at one of the South Dakota Technical Colleges, such as Mitchell Technical College, Southeast Technical College or Lake Area Technical College. The deadline set for the local partnership support is set for January 24, 2024. The old saying of the “early bird gets the worm” really applies in this case. To often these scholarship dollars go unused because students do not understand the importance of meeting the deadline. Non-traditional students can also be considered as well as out of state students who are interested in getting an education and a job in South Dakota when they are done and students who tried a traditional four year college, but did not find what they were looking for in the educational process.