Scholarships & Grants

Scholarships and Grants

Each year, students pursuing education at colleges and trade schools are awarded grants and scholarships funded by the Builders Association of the Sioux Empire Care Foundation. Since beginning our programs in the 1990s, we have distributed over $72,000 in high school scholarships and have allocated a total of $160,000 to second-year technical school students.

High School Scholarships

We award several $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors living in Lincoln, Minnehaha, McCook, or Turner County. To be eligible, students must be pursuing a major in a building industry-related field at a college or technical institute.

Materials needed as attachments in your application

High school transcript
Letter of recommendation from teacher or school official
School photo (for media purposes)

If your application is accepted, you’ll be contacted by a BASE Care Foundation representative.

Applications are currently open

Please submit your application by April 1, 2025 for the 2025-2026 school year. For more information, please download the application.

Applications are currently closed

Please check this page for an announcement when we begin accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Second-Year Scholarships

The BASE Care Foundation funds scholarships for students entering their second year in an eligible field of study at Mitchell Technical Institute and Southeast Technical College. These trade school scholarships are awarded through a competitive selection process, with recipients chosen annually by each school.

Second year students can contact their school’s admissions office for more information on applying.

Student Chapter Travel Funding

We donate matching travel funds to the NAHB student chapters at Southeast Technical Institute and Mitchell Technical Institute.

This allows students to travel to the annual NAHB International Builder’s Show (IBS) to participate in networking opportunities, educational sessions, student chapter activities, and see the latest industry developments.

Workforce Development Grant

Our Workforce Development Grant provides funding for programs in South Dakota that promote industry careers and prepare people for roles in the building trades.

Eligible applicants

Must be a qualified tax-exempt organization, public school, or institution
Located in Lincoln, Minnehaha, McCook, or Turner County

Proposed programs must meet one of the following needs

Promotion of academic, technical training, or professional development achievement in the construction trades
Construction trades career awareness in grades K-12, and/or young adults age 18-28
Community based non-profit organizations addressing building and construction industry workforce development needs
NAHB student chapter activities
Tools, equipment, or building materials for use in education and workforce training programs

General information

The Builders Association of the Sioux Empire Care Foundation evaluates grants on a case-by-case basis throughout the year.
After reviewing the application’s initial proposal, additional information may be requested by the Builders Association of the Sioux Empire Care Foundation Board.
Due to the number of requests the foundation receives, priority will be given to entities that have not received funding within the last three years.
Recipients of Workforce Development Grants must submit quarterly progress reports.
In the event that progress toward the completion of the project is not deemed satisfactory, or is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the award, the Builders Association of the Sioux Empire Care Foundation may, at their sole discretion, terminate the award.