The exodus of qualified college students in South Dakota has reached such proportion that it set up a special program, the Dakota Corp., to address many of its most critical needs, such as educational and medical occupations. This doesn’t mean it covers everything, though. As it happens, the state and private organizations have also stepped in to help. For starters, all qualified students should look at the state’s version of the Robert C. Byrd Honors Program. To qualify for this national scholarship fund, high school students should have a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and have scored at least a 30 on their ACT. They must also be planning to attend an academic university. If qualified, the student will receive a renewable scholarship of $1,500 per year to any school in the U.S.

There are also a few organizations that may not be national, but do cover as much as a half-dozen or so of the greater Northwestern states, including South Dakota. For starters, there is the Drug & Alcohol Abuse Prevention Essay Contest. To qualify, a secondary school student needs to have a 2.5 GPA. He/she also must complete an essay on drug abuse. It will be published in a major anti-drug magazine, to which the recipient gets $500. Another such organization is the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers. Unlike many such private organizations, it doesn’t require membership. Applicants should only live in what was considered the old Minnesota Territories (both Dakotas are) in 12th grade and provide proof of acceptance to a college. It also requires an essay and awards $500.

An interesting program is the Marlin R. Scarborough Memorial Scholarship. Each year, all the colleges in South Dakota elect their top sophomores and enter them into the competition. Prerequisites include the student does plan to be a junior and carries a 3.5 grade point average. From there, the Board of Regents will award the qualified student $1,000. The state’s Better Business Bureau has also stepped into the fray. It created the Scott Mecham BBB Student of Integrity Awards and also covers the states of Nebraska and parts of Iowa. Each year, six students are awarded $2,000 each for representing the values of the late Mecham. They must be high school juniors. Grades and ethnicity are not considered.