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Scholarship & Loan Repayment Opportunities

 Learn more about various opportunities

Pre-Nursing students can apply for one of the many academic scholarships that South Dakota State University administers. Awards are based on academic achievement, activities participation and leadership. There are options for students who plan to transfer to SDSU from another post-secondary institution, as well as first time freshman. Apply or learn more about your options.

The Jackrabbit Guarantee is a commitment by SDSU to award a minimum academic scholarship award to qualifying students. Learn more about Jackrabbit Guarantee.

Thanks in a large part to our generous donors, the College of Nursing has a number of internal scholarships available for students admitted to the nursing major and students in the graduate nursing program. In 2022-23, students received more than $837,285. Students can check out the specific awards offered by the College of Nursing by going to MyState. Applications are typically due towards the beginning of spring semester for the following academic year. See this year's donors and recipients.

In addition to the above opportunities, we also offer scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged nursing students and an American Indians into Nursing scholarship.

SDSU College of Nursing Opportunities

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

The SDSU College of Nursing has received NFLP funding for more than a decade. This loan opportunity is made possible through grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Health Resources and Services Administration. With the NFLP opportunity, tuition and fees are funded for graduate nursing students who intend to teach in an accredited school of nursing (at a two-year or four-year institution) for four years following graduation. When the teaching requirement is fulfilled, up to 85% of the loan is forgiven. To be eligible for this program, students must take one of the four approved education courses during their graduate program. Information about NFLP funding is sent to Ph.D., M.S.-Nurse Educator and DNP students enrolled at SDSU before the start of each academic semester.


External Funding Options

This is not an all-inclusive list.
  1. Federal Financial Aid
  2. HSRA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program (Annual Spring application cycle)
  3. Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (Annual early Spring application cycle)
  4. National Health Service Corps (Annual Spring application cycle)
  5. Loan Repayment Program (State Loan Repayment) (Annual early Spring application cycle)
  6. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  7. South Dakota Board of Nursing - Nursing Education Assistance Loan Program
  8. South Dakota Nurses Foundation Scholarship
  9. Rita H. Walsh Scholarship (SD Nurses Foundation)
  10. Minority Fellowship Program
  11. Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Resources

Students enrolled in the postgraduate certificate programs are not eligible for federal student financial aid. The non-federal alternative loan programs may be used for students meeting the lender criteria as found at www.sdstate.edu (search alternative loans). For further information, please contact the SDSU financial aid office at 605-688-4695 or Financial Aid