Application deadline: April 19, 2022
The South Dakota Retailers Association scholarship program is designed to provide assistance to students studying for a career in retail and hospitality businesses, whether as an owner, manager, or employee. In 2021, our Scholarship Committee awarded funds to five students, in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $2,700.

The program is named in honor of former Executive Director Jerry Wheeler, who started the program in 1992. Since then, the Association has awarded 263 scholarships, totaling $192,200.

Download the digital application by clicking the blue button above, hard copy applications are available through financial aid offices at most South Dakota universities and technical colleges, and upon request from SDRA by emailing donna@sdra.org, or by calling (605) 224-5050.

Applicants will receive notification by email when SDRA receives the application, If you submit an application electronically and don't receive confirmation within 3 business days, please email donna@sdra.org.

Questions? Give us call at (605)224-5050,  ask for Donna!
SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY
  • Applicant must desire a career in a retail or retail-related field. 
  • To be eligible, applicant must enroll in a retail or retail-related course of study at a qualifying, accredited technical school, college, university, or certified professional training institute in the fall of 2022. Enrollment in an online degree program from a qualifying school is acceptable. 
  • Examples of fields of study considered to be retail or retail-related include (but are not limited to): Accounting, Agribusiness, Apparel Merchandising, Auto Mechanics, Automotive Technology, Business Administration, Business Management, Collision Repair, Computer Science, Commercial Baking, Culinary Arts, Diesel Mechanics, Electrical Maintenance, Gemology, Grocery, Heating/Ventilation, Hotel/Restaurant Management, Landscape Design, Pharmacy, Photography, Printing Industries, Refrigeration, Sales/Marketing Management, and Tourism Industry Management. (NOTE: this list is not all-inclusive.) 
  • South Dakota Education: 
    • Graduated from a South Dakota high school;
    • Have earned high school equivalency (such as a GED) in South Dakota;
    • Plan to attend post-secondary school in South Dakota 
  • Applicant must have completed at least 24 credits from a qualifying college or university, or 12 credits from a qualifying tech school or certified professional training institute by September of 2022 to be eligible. We will consider full-time post-secondary work experience in lieu of the post-secondary education requirement.