Sponsor a Scholar

As an employer, you can build a qualified workforce for your company and your industry through Build Dakota. By doing so, you are also creating opportunities for students to launch technical careers in high-need fields throughout South Dakota.

How Does it Work?

Build Dakota Sponsor-A-Scholar

• Employers who choose to sponsor a Build Dakota Scholar agree to a total investment based on a student's major. That amount is matched by Southeast Technical College and Build Dakota to create a full-ride scholarship that covers 100% of a student’s program, including tuition, fees, books and supplies.
• In accepting the scholarship, the student commits to work for your company for at least three years following graduation from Southeast Tech.

Matching Process

1. Students

   Interested students submit their Build Dakota Scholarship applications and résumés to Southeast Tech.

2. Southeast Tech Career Services

   Southeast Tech verifies students’ eligibility and completed application materials and uploads them to a secure file-sharing site for employers to access. The materials are
   organized by eligible Build Dakota programs, and employers have read-only access to those specific to their sponsorship(s).

3. Employer's HR Contact

   Southeast Tech will share the link to access students’ application materials with companies’ assigned Human Resource contacts.

4. HR Contact's Responsibility

   HR contacts are to review application materials, schedule
   interviews and extend offers to their company’s selected Build Dakota student(s).

Timeline to Select Applicants

• The Build Dakota Scholarship application opens.
• Southeast Tech uploads application materials.
• Employers review materials and schedule interviews with students.

Employers may extend sponsorship offers to students until April 11, 2025. 

Students have until April 14, 2025, to accept a Build Dakota scholarship offer.

All new Build Dakota Scholars will be invited to Southeast Tech’s Build Dakota Signing and Registration Day. At this event, students – along with their company sponsors, Southeast Tech faculty and staff and special guests – will sign their Build Dakota letter of intent. Also at this event, students will officially register for classes at Southeast Tech.