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The Legislature authorized the state-funded scholarship as a way to encourage more of South Dakota’s top-performing high school graduates to choose a college, university or technical school in the state. Students can get up to $5,000 over four years by taking rigorous high school courses and attending college or vocational schools in South Dakota. Qualifying students also must get a score of at least 24 on the ACT college entrance exam.
The program enrollment has increased 39 percent the past four years, with 5,007 high school graduates establishing initial eligibility since the fall 2004 semester. Another increase in recipients was noted this past year, but it was only 2 percent, the report says.
Just over 2,000 Opportunity Scholarship students have enrolled at South Dakota State University, and about 1,000 at the University of South Dakota since the 2004-2005 academic year. Biology is the most common major, followed by psychology, mechanical engineering, business management and special education.
“Overall, Opportunity Scholarship recipients are more likely to enroll in majors resulting in career areas such as medicine, science, mathematics, engineering and business,” the report said.
The Legislature authorized the state-funded scholarship as a way to encourage more of South Dakota’s top-performing high school graduates to choose a college, university or technical school in the state. Students can get up to $5,000 over four years by taking rigorous high school courses and attending college or vocational schools in South Dakota. Qualifying students also must get a score of at least 24 on the ACT college entrance exam.
The program enrollment has increased 39 percent the past four years, with 5,007 high school graduates establishing initial eligibility since the fall 2004 semester. Another increase in recipients was noted this past year, but it was only 2 percent, the report says.
Just over 2,000 Opportunity Scholarship students have enrolled at South Dakota State University, and about 1,000 at the University of South Dakota since the 2004-2005 academic year. Biology is the most common major, followed by psychology, mechanical engineering, business management and special education.
“Overall, Opportunity Scholarship recipients are more likely to enroll in majors resulting in career areas such as medicine, science, mathematics, engineering and business,” the report said.