South Dakota funding guide
South Dakota medical, dental, and veterinary funding
Start with money that does not require ordinary repayment: scholarships, forgivable loans, service awards, and loan repayment tied to eligible work.
Medical funding
South Dakota medical programs
South Dakota Rural Healthcare Facility Recruitment Assistance Program
A monetary incentive to health professionals who complete a 3 year service agreement at a rural facility in South Dakota. Facilities apply for matching funds to help with their recruitment efforts.
- Who may qualify
- The application must be submitted by the facility that is or will be employing the health professional. The health professional must be a new employee at an eligible facility. New employee is defined as one who has been employed for no longer than 9 months prior to the date the SD Office of Rural Health receives the application. The eligible facility must be located in a community with a population of 10,000 or less. Eligible facility types include: Licensed hospitals Nursing homes Federally certified home health agencies Chemical dependency treatment facilities Intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities Community mental health centers Community support providers End stage renal dialysis facilities Ambulance services Federally Qualified Health Centers Dental practice
- Award or benefit
- A $10,000 payment is made to each participating health professional. The payment each health professional receives is split between the state and the employing facility. The proportion each pays is dependent on the size of the community in which the facility is located. Communities of 2500 or less pay 25% of the $10,000. Communities over 2500 pay 50% of the $10,000. The community portion of the payment can be made to the health professional at any time. The state payment occurs after completion of the 3-year service obligation. There is a limit of 3 participants per facility.
- Sponsor
- South Dakota Office of Rural Health
National programs to check
NHSC State Loan Repayment Program
Participating states and territories repay qualifying debt for eligible clinicians serving in approved shortage areas. Awards and application windows are set by each state.
NHSC Scholarship Program
Scholarship support for eligible primary-care students who commit to service at an NHSC-approved site after training.
Dental funding
South Dakota dental programs
South Dakota Rural Healthcare Facility Recruitment Assistance Program
A monetary incentive to health professionals who complete a 3 year service agreement at a rural facility in South Dakota. Facilities apply for matching funds to help with their recruitment efforts.
- Who may qualify
- The application must be submitted by the facility that is or will be employing the health professional. The health professional must be a new employee at an eligible facility. New employee is defined as one who has been employed for no longer than 9 months prior to the date the SD Office of Rural Health receives the application. The eligible facility must be located in a community with a population of 10,000 or less. Eligible facility types include: Licensed hospitals Nursing homes Federally certified home health agencies Chemical dependency treatment facilities Intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities Community mental health centers Community support providers End stage renal dialysis facilities Ambulance services Federally Qualified Health Centers Dental practice
- Award or benefit
- A $10,000 payment is made to each participating health professional. The payment each health professional receives is split between the state and the employing facility. The proportion each pays is dependent on the size of the community in which the facility is located. Communities of 2500 or less pay 25% of the $10,000. Communities over 2500 pay 50% of the $10,000. The community portion of the payment can be made to the health professional at any time. The state payment occurs after completion of the 3-year service obligation. There is a limit of 3 participants per facility.
- Sponsor
- South Dakota Office of Rural Health
National programs to check
NHSC State Loan Repayment Program
Dentists and other eligible oral-health clinicians may qualify through participating state programs in exchange for shortage-area service.
NHSC Scholarship Program
Eligible dental students can receive scholarship support in exchange for service at an NHSC-approved site.
Veterinary funding
South Dakota veterinary programs
No direct veterinary award was identified in this review.
That does not prove none exists. Check the official state directory, your school, professional association, and the national programs below.
Search the South Dakota funding directory →Use USDA's live map to check South Dakota shortage designations. The table could not be reliably imported during this review, so this page does not claim a state count.
Open the USDA shortage map →National programs to check
USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
USDA may repay up to $40,000 per year for at least three years of service in a designated veterinary shortage situation.
Sources and review standard
Listings were reviewed on June 13, 2026 using official program pages and the Rural Health Information Hub funding directory. Program status, appropriations, deadlines, and award amounts can change without notice.
Before relying on an award: confirm the current application cycle, eligible degree and specialty, service site, tax treatment, and repayment terms directly with the administrator.
View the state source directory →