South Dakota State University: merit scholarships by ACT score

Verified Oct 21, 2026fall 2026 through spring 2028 entryBrookings, SD

South Dakota State University awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 22. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, one point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.

Enter a score and a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and exactly how many points the next one needs.

Read this first

SDSU prints bare dollar amounts and never states whether they are per year, per semester or total — so no period is shown here, even though every competitive award on the same page says 'per year'. Its ACT columns are discrete points (32+, 28, 26, 24, 22) and SDSU does not say what a 23, 25, 27 or 29 earns; those are read down to the next published column. And despite the name, the page states the Jackrabbit Guarantee 'does not constitute a guarantee or offer of financial assistance'. No renewal requirement is published for the grid.

29
3.60

Unweighted, as the school asks for it.

← Drag either slider to your own numbers

Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA

Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

There is no higher band to reach at this GPA — more points would not change the award here. They may still matter for admission, for honours programmes, or at other schools on the list.

Knowing where a score sits is the easy part. Moving it starts with knowing exactly which questions they're being missed, and why.

Who's this for?
Where a 29 is worth the most →

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Want to know what one more point would change? The Merit Plan prices the next point at every school.

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This page is one school. We have read the published grids at 501, and the email sends the ten that pay you most — five public, five private — with what each one awards. No account.

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Can you get merit aid at SDSU without an ACT score?

Yes. Optional and the only school here to price the option: the grid's own sixth column states what a student with no score receives, at every GPA. Submitting a score can only move the award up.

Read the two columns in the grid below as a trade. The same award is reachable either way — with a score at a lower GPA, or with no score at a higher one. A score is worth real money to a student whose GPA sits under the test-optional line, and worth little to one comfortably above it.

“This financial promise is made based on a student's high school GPA or a combination of high school GPA and ACT composite score, ACT superscore or SAT composite score.”

The published SDSU merit aid grid

Reproduced in full from South Dakota State University’s own pages for fall 2026 through spring 2028 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.

Jackrabbit Guarantee — residents and non-residents alike

The rightmost column is SDSU's own 'No test score' column, so the cost of skipping the ACT is published rather than implied. No scholarship application is required.

  • Minimum award of $4,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 32–36 · 4.00+ GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $4,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 28–31 · 4.00+ GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 26–27 · 4.00+ GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 24–25 · 4.00+ GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 22–23 · 4.00+ GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    No score needed · GPA 4.00

  • Minimum award of $4,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 32–36 · 3.90 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 28–31 · 3.90 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 26–27 · 3.90 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 24–25 · 3.90 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 22–23 · 3.90 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    No score needed · GPA 3.90

Show the other 24 published rows

  • Minimum award of $4,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 32–36 · 3.75 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 28–31 · 3.75 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 26–27 · 3.75 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 24–25 · 3.75 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,500 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 22–23 · 3.75 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,500 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    No score needed · GPA 3.75

  • Minimum award of $4,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 32–36 · 3.50 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 28–31 · 3.50 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 26–27 · 3.50 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 24–25 · 3.50 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 22–23 · 3.50 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    No score needed · GPA 3.50

  • Minimum award of $3,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 32–36 · 3.25 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 28–31 · 3.25 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,500 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 26–27 · 3.25 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,500 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 24–25 · 3.25 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 22–23 · 3.25 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    No score needed · GPA 3.25

  • Minimum award of $2,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 32–36 · 3.00 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,500 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 28–31 · 3.00 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 26–27 · 3.00 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 24–25 · 3.00 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    ACT 22–23 · 3.00 GPA

    Without a score: not available

  • Minimum award of $1,000 (SDSU does not state the period)

    Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship

    No score needed · GPA 3.00

Source: Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship Program · verified 2026-10-21

Does SDSU superscore for scholarships?

Yes. Yes, and named in the sentence that defines the whole programme — SDSU lists the ACT superscore alongside the composite as a basis for the award.

“a combination of high school GPA and ACT composite score, ACT superscore or SAT composite score”

So the number that matters here is your superscore, not your best single test. Work out your superscore and look that score up in the grid above — it may sit a band higher than the one you have been planning around.

Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.

SDSU scholarship deadlines

Entry termDue
Scholarship application opensOct. 1, 2026
Priority for summer and fall 2027Dec. 1, 2026
Scores and GPA received to set or raise the award (fall start)Aug. 1

Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.

Where these numbers came from

Every figure on this page was read from South Dakota State University’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.

  • SDSU is the only school in this batch that pays for a score below 30 — North Dakota State and the University of North Dakota both gate their one ACT threshold at 30, so a 22 to 29 earns nothing at either.
  • A score improvement genuinely raises the award: SDSU says minimum scholarships may increase on improved GPA or scores received by Aug. 1.
  • Scores must be earned during high school or the summer immediately after graduation.
  • No renewal GPA, credit-hour load or term is published for the grid. The named competitive awards state their own renewal years; the Jackrabbit Guarantee states nothing.
  • National Merit is unusually generous and genuinely automatic: $5,000 a year for semifinalists and $8,500 a year for finalists, the finalist award replacing rather than adding to the semifinalist one.
  • The named awards on the same page — Stai Honors, Schafer, J. Lohr, Sandfort, Klingbeil, Briggs and the rest — all run through a competitive interview selection process and are not modelled.
  • SDSU still references an ACT science reasoning subscore in its admission core-course alternates, which is legacy-format language worth watching as the Enhanced ACT lands.

Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with South Dakota State University.

Frequently asked questions

What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at SDSU?

Automatic merit aid at South Dakota State University starts at an ACT composite of 22, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches minimum award of $4,000 (sdsu does not state the period) at the top. The bands are steps rather than a slope, so the only score that matters is the next threshold above where you are now.

Is SDSU test-optional?

One of three alternative routes: an ACT composite or superscore of 18, a 2.6 cumulative GPA, or a ranking in the top 60% of the class. A score is a path, not a requirement. For merit aid the answer is different: optional and the only school here to price the option: the grid's own sixth column states what a student with no score receives, at every GPA. Submitting a score can only move the award up. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.

Does SDSU superscore the ACT for scholarships?

Yes. Yes, and named in the sentence that defines the whole programme — SDSU lists the ACT superscore alongside the composite as a basis for the award. a combination of high school GPA and ACT composite score, ACT superscore or SAT composite score

When are SDSU scholarship deadlines?

Scholarship application opens: Oct. 1, 2026. Priority for summer and fall 2027: Dec. 1, 2026. Scores and GPA received to set or raise the award (fall start): Aug. 1. The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.

Is this SDSU scholarship data current?

Every figure on this page was read from South Dakota State University's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-21. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.

Other schools to check

What to do next

You know what a score is worth at SDSU. The question is whether you can move it.

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