Scholarships

Golden West Scholarships

Golden West invests in scholarships to help today’s youth become tomorrow’s leaders.

Our scholarships help South Dakota students pursue degrees in a variety of fields at colleges, universities, and technical schools across the country. We award $1,000 scholarships to 40-plus graduating seniors, one for each high school in our exchanges and one at-large scholarship available to home-schooled students or those who live in our service area but attend a high school not covered by the program.

Only at-large students (those attending high schools outside the Golden West service area), may submit their application directly to Golden West, other students submit their application through their school's guidance counselor or other school official.

Please review the information below to learn more about eligibility and requirements.

Completed applications are due March 16, 2026.

Who Is Eligible?

The student's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must reside within one of the Golden West exchanges and subscribe to Golden West internet or phone service.

The applicant must be a graduating high school senior.

Applicants must take the American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) at an examination center of their choice and receive a score prior to applying.

The recipients of the awards must begin attending a post-secondary institution and enroll in and complete a full-time course load (according to their institution’s credit policy) in the fall semester immediately following graduation. They must also register for a full-time course load in the spring before requesting scholarship funds.