South Dakota Free Tuition for Children of Deceased Veterans

South Dakota law waives 100 percent of tuition at the state's Board of Regents universities for children of deceased veterans. To qualify, the student must be a South Dakota resident younger than 25, and the deceased parent must have served in the United States Armed Forces, performed qualifying military service as defined in state law (SDCL 33A-2-1), and been a South Dakota resident for at least six months before entering active service. A related state program covers the children and spouses of South Dakota National Guard members who died or became totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty, and another covers dependents of service members declared missing in action or prisoners of war. Applying takes two steps: the family completes the state's E-12 free tuition form and sends it to the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which validates eligibility and returns it, and the student then turns the completed form in to the university registrar's office. There is no fixed deadline, but the form should be finished before the first term.

Other deadlines near this one

• 802 Opportunity Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · Full tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
• Alaska Education Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · $500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  Due June 30, 2027 · $3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier

How hard is the South Dakota Free Tuition for Children of Deceased Veterans to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• Fewer rivalsOpen only to South Dakota residents
• Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the South Dakota Free Tuition for Children of Deceased Veterans?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Must be a resident of South Dakota
• ✓Must attend a college in South Dakota (the award does not travel out of state)
• ✓Open to high school seniors
• ✓For students who lost a parent in military service or active-duty military or veteran families
• ✓Age 24 or younger

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Send the E-12 form to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in the spring of senior year so it comes back validated before fall registration.

E-12 form validated by the SD Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Before the first term

Validated form turned in to the university registrar

Before registration

Common questions about the South Dakota Free Tuition for Children of Deceased Veterans

More military & service families

• Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35)
  $1,621 per month of full-time study, up to 36 months (2026-27 rate) · due August 1, 2027
• Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP)
  Up to $30,000 a year (or cost of attendance, if lower) for up to four years · due September 30, 2027
• Texas Tuition Exemption for Children of POW or MIA Service Members
  Exempts all tuition and fees at Texas public institutions · due August 31, 2027
• University of North Georgia ROTC Grant
  Up to $1,500 a year; up to $4,000 a year with an officer contract · due June 30, 2027
• Washington Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Veterans and National Guard Members
  All tuition and fees at Washington public colleges, plus a $500 a year book stipend · due June 30, 2027
• Wings Over America Scholarship
  $5,000 · due March 1, 2027

Lists this award appears on

• South Dakota Scholarships and State Grants
• No-Essay Scholarships
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships for Military Families and Veterans
• Scholarships With June Deadlines