Skip to Content
FDIC - Insured - Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government
  • Our People
  • Our Communities
  • Our Story
  • Newsroom
  • Careers

 

 

PREMIER Awards 36 Scholarships

First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard are pleased to announce 36 students have been selected to receive a $2,000 PREMIER Community or PREMIER Employee Scholarship. A complete list of the 2025 recipients can be found here.

 

“Over the years, we have awarded millions of dollars in community and employee scholarships,” said First PREMIER Bank CEO Dana Dykhouse. “We believe this is one of the best investments we can make because these students will someday make a difference in our future.”

 

For the 2025/2026 school year, PREMIER awarded 20 Community Scholarships to students planning to attend a South Dakota college, university or technical school. It also awarded 16 scholarships to high school seniors with a parent or guardian working at PREMIER.

 

“PREMIER is considered one of the nation's strongest financial organizations,” said Dykhouse. “This success has allowed us to give back to our communities and the state of South Dakota in significant and transformational ways.”

 

In 2021, PREMIER provided $150 million to establish the Freedom Scholarship, South Dakota's first need-based award. Along with partners Sanford Health, Avera Health and the state of South Dakota, the endowment has grown to more than $225 million in its first few years. Qualifying students who receive the funds "repay" their scholarship by working in the state of South Dakota for three years following graduation.

 

In 2014, T. Denny Sanford and PREMIER partnered with the State of South Dakota to create the Build Dakota Scholarship program. This unique public-private partnership, established with the initial gift of $25 million from Mr. Sanford, provides free technical college education (tuition, books and tools) in exchange for a commitment to work three years in one of the state's high-need industries. Over the past decade, PREMIER and Mr. Sanford have contributed an additional $25 million to the Build Dakota Scholarship program.

 

“Giving back and serving others is the core of who we are at First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard,” concluded Dykhouse. “It’s the PREMIER Way.”