South Dakota state legislature has created a reduced tuition program for veterans and select others who have performed war service. It’s only eligible to students if they are a current South Dakota resident, classified as a veteran (as defined in SDCL 33A-2-1) or performed an active war service.

Black Hills State University – Ellsworth Air Force Base

Reduced tuition is offered for active-duty military personnel, their spouses and dependents, and Department of Defense civilian employees stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, SD. The application can be viewed here.

The application process is necessary. To start the process, you must contact the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Where a departmental representative will facilitate completion of the E-11 form and serve as a liaison between you and your home university.

State law allows a reduced tuition program equal to 100% for National Guard members if they’re established in a South Dakota unit. Applicants must also have a satisfactory completion of initial basic training, a submission of validating documents prior to or at the point of course registration, sustained unit membership throughout the entire semester for which tuition is reduced and satisfactory academic progress.

To apply you’ll need to complete an SDNG Form 56 as well as contact the South Dakota Army National Guard Education Service Office. Where you’ll connect with a departmental representative to help you facilitate the application process and save as a liaison between you and your university. If you need more information, you can visit the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Scholarship support for ROTC members is typically available through the federal government. If this funding is unavailable, however, the Board of Regents has a dependable safety net. Junior and senior students who have attained the rank of senior ROTC cadet are eligible for a partial tuition waiver. This allows them to be charged 50% of the current resident tuition rate for up to four semesters. To qualify, applicants will need an established residency in South Dakota, validated senior ROTC status and satisfactory academic progress (as defined by the US Army or Air Force Cadet Command).

Five of the six regental universities feature an ROTC program. Should you join ROTC, a representative from that program will review every option for financial support for your academic pursuits and then guide you through the appropriate application process.

• Black Hills State University

• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

• South Dakota State University

  • Army

  • Air Force (In Collaboration with DSU)

• The University of South Dakota

To honor deceased veterans, the South Dakota Legislature established a reduced tuition program for their children. Children who are residents of the state of South Dakota and younger than 25 years old are eligible to qualify for the 100% tuition waiver. Their parent must also have a membership in the United States Armed Forces, a performance of qualifying military service (as described in SDCL 33A-2-1) and be a South Dakota resident for six months or more prior to their active service entry.

To apply you must fill out an E-12 form and submit it to the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Once received, the department will provide you with the necessary validation and return the completed form to you. To complete the application process, you’ll turn in your completed form to your home universities Registrar’s Office.

The state legislature arranged academic support for the dependents of deceased and disabled national guardsmen. This includes both children (24 years and younger) and spouses. To qualify you need to be a South Dakota resident, the child or spouse of a national guard member that has suffered a death or total and permanent disability.

To apply you must fill out an E-12 form and submit it to the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Once received, the department will provide you with the necessary validation and return the completed form to you. To complete the application process, you’ll turn in your completed form to your home universities Registrar’s Office.

South Dakota law SDCL 13-55-9.2 was designed to provide support to dependents of those who are missing in action or prisoners of war. Dependents include any child born before or during the period when the parent was declared missing in action (MIA) or taken as a prisoner of war (POW), a child either legally adopted or in legal custody of a parent that is MIA or POW, or a spouse of the individual who is MIA or POW.

To apply you must fill out an E-12 form and submit it to the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Once received, the department will provide you with the necessary validation and return the completed form to you. To complete the application process, you’ll turn in your completed form to your home universities Registrar’s Office.