FINANCIAL AID: Grants
Grants are awarded on the basis of financial need. You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to apply for federal grants.
Federal Pell Grant
A grant program available to undergraduate students. Pell Grants do not have to be repaid. Eligibility is based on need and determined by your EFC listed on your Student Aid Report. The amount of your Pell Grant will be reduced if you are not enrolled full-time. If your EFC is high, you may not qualify for a Pell Grant if you are enrolled less than full-time. Your eligibility will be calculated based on your enrollment at the end of the add/drop period each term.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
A grant program available to undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree who are enrolled in at least six credit hours. Priority is given to the neediest students and Federal Pell Grant recipients.
Teacher Education Assistance for College & Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
This grant program provides up to $4,000 per year for both undergraduate and graduate students. Students must be majoring in education and have at least a 3.25 grade point average (and maintain that average for every semester of eligibility), or score in the top 75th percentile on an admissions test such as ACT, SAT, or GRE. Students must teach full-time for at least four years within eight years of completing a program as a highly qualified teacher; at a Title I school; in a specified subject area (mathematics, science, a foreign language, bilingual education, special education, as a reading specialist, or other “high need” fields). If service is not met, the grant must be repaid as an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, with interest from the date(s) of original disbursement.
In order to apply for a Teach Grant you must complete the Teach Grant Application. Additional information is available here and here.
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP) Under the LEAP Program, the Secretary of Education provides states with funds to establish a state grant program assisting students who demonstrate substantial financial need. This is for South Dakota students. Non-Residents can find a list of the various state agencies that administer LEAP at: www.ed.gov/Programs/bastmp/SHEA.htm.