Ardell Bjugstad Scholarship

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

South Dakota Board of Regents

Number of Awards & Eligibility: One award offered annually.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must be a resident of North Dakota or South Dakota.
  3. Must be an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian tribe whose reservation is located in North Dakota or South Dakota.
  4. Must be planning to earn a degree in agriculture, natural resources, or a related field.
  5. Must be a legal U.S. resident.
  6. Must be a high school senior at time of application.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: This award is available to North and South Dakota high school seniors who are enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe whose reservation is located in North or South Dakota. Students must major in agriculture, natural resources, or a related field.

Application requirements for the Ardell Bjugstad Scholarship are:

  • Recommendation letters (2)
  • Application form
  • Official Transcript
  • Verification of tribal enrollment
Additional Information: The Ardell Bjugstad Scholarship Program for Native American students was established by the family of Ardell Bjugstad of Rapid City. Bjugstad, who died in 1990, was a range scientist with the U.S. Forest Service for 20 years, and an adjunct professor with South Dakota State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Oglala Lakota College. He was a strong advocate for young American Indians working to educate themselves, and he also worked closely with Oglala Lakota College in mentoring Native American students into the U.S. Forest Service. Student must have demonstrated academic achievement to be eligible. The scholarship recipient will be approved at the Board of Regents meeting on March 31-April 2.

Award Amount: $500 annually, non-renewable. The award will be allocated to the student's college or university for disbursement in two equal installments of $250 during the fall and spring semesters.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $500.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, February 22

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, February 22

The application deadline date has not yet been finalized for this year, but is expected to remain the same as last year. The deadline date shown here is tentative based on last year's date. Please check back in January for a refreshed application deadline date.Applications are available online at the South Dakota Board of Regents (SDBOR) website and from high school guidance counselors and/or financial aid administrators.In addition to a completed application, the student must also submit the following documents: two letters of recommendation that address his/her academic achievement, character, and leadership abilities; an official high school transcript, complete through the junior year, which indicates his/her class rank and cumulative grade point average; and verification of tribal enrollment.The application and all supporting materials should be completed and mailed to the South Dakota Board of Regents and must be postmarked by the deadline date.
About South Dakota Board of Regents:
Contact Information: Sara Rankin, Student Services Coordinator
Address: 306 E. Capitol Ave. Suite 200 Pierre, South Dakota 57501

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