North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship
A North Dakota University System scholarship that matches eligible private-sector or qualifying public funds for students in high-need programs, with up to $17,000 available per recipient.
North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship
The North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship is a workforce-focused aid program administered by the North Dakota University System (NDUS). It helps businesses and communities recruit and retain people in high-need occupations by matching eligible private-sector or qualifying public funds with state money. For a student, that structure can turn an employer sponsorship or community contribution into help with tuition, fees, books, and supplies.
This is not a general scholarship with one annual essay deadline. The official NDUS page says the institution generally starts the scholarship application process with the student, and the award depends on an eligible program, an eligible occupation, confirmed matching funds, and final NDUS approval. Because the page does not publish one universal closing date, this entry uses rolling as the deadline. You still need to move early: a campus cannot complete the process until the program, donor match, and student documents are in place.
At a glance
| Item | Current official detail |
|---|---|
| Administrator | North Dakota University System |
| Purpose | Support study and workforce retention in high-need and emerging occupations in North Dakota |
| Maximum | Up to $17,000 over the recipient’s eligible program, including matched state and donor funds |
| State match | $1 from the state for each $1 of matching private-sector or qualifying public funds, up to $8,500 in state matching funds |
| Eligible study | A qualifying certificate, associate-level program, or a bachelor’s program in the final two years of the degree |
| Enrollment limit | Four semesters or six quarters |
| Payment standard | Full-time enrollment according to the degree plan and a minimum 2.50 GPA are required for payment |
| Application route | Review the occupation and program list, contact the campus, then use the ND SAMS Portal when directed |
| Deadline | No single public calendar deadline; applications are handled through institutions and available matching funds |
| Post-study commitment | Live in North Dakota and work in a high-need occupation in the state for three years after program completion |
What the scholarship actually funds
The headline amount is up to $17,000 per recipient, but that is a lifetime maximum under this program, not an automatic award. Payments may not exceed the cost of eligible tuition, fees, books, and supplies. The state match also depends on money being committed by a private-sector donor or another qualifying public source. NDUS says it can match donor funds up to $8,500, so a full $17,000 award requires the corresponding matching contribution and enough eligible education costs.
The scholarship is therefore best understood as a sponsored workforce award. A business, association, local entity, job development authority, or qualifying institution may help provide the matching funds. Other federal or state financial aid programs and Challenge Grant funding do not count as the matching contribution described on the NDUS page. Ask your campus financial aid or workforce contact which donor arrangements are available before assuming that the maximum is within reach.
The award is limited to the approved program and the permitted enrollment period. NDUS lists an eligibility limit of four semesters or six quarters. That limit matters for students whose program has a longer sequence or whose enrollment plan includes a lighter term. Confirm the degree plan with the institution before treating the scholarship as a promise to cover every year of a four-year degree.
Who can qualify
The first requirement is admission to a qualifying certificate or degree program at a qualifying North Dakota institution. The program must relate directly to an occupation on the current High-Need and Emerging Occupations List. The official rules include certificate programs, associate-level programs, and bachelor’s programs during the final two years of the bachelor’s degree. Qualifying institutions can include public, private, tribal, and proprietary colleges when the specific program is listed as eligible.
The occupation list drives the program. It is reviewed and established annually by the North Dakota Workforce Development Council and Job Service North Dakota, so a familiar career title is not enough by itself. Check the current scholarship list for the exact occupation and the exact institution and program. A broad major may not qualify if the listed program does not connect to an approved occupation, while a technical or professional program may qualify when the list names its occupational outcome.
The scholarship also has an academic and enrollment standard. NDUS requires a minimum 2.50 GPA for payment and full-time enrollment according to the degree plan. “Full-time” should not be interpreted casually: the campus must determine how the requirement applies to the student’s approved plan. A student who drops below the required enrollment or cannot maintain the GPA should contact the institution immediately, because eligibility for future payment can change even after an award agreement is signed.
Students should also be ready to accept the program’s workforce commitment. Recipients agree to complete the program for which they receive funds, live in North Dakota for three years after completion, and work in a high-need occupation in North Dakota for three years after completion. NDUS provides a six-month window after program completion to meet the residency and employment requirements. The agreement is legally binding, so the scholarship is a poor fit for someone who already knows they will move out of state or pursue unrelated work after graduation.
How the matching-fund model works
The state does not simply issue an unrestricted award after a student submits a form. A matching donor must commit funds, and the money must be received by NDUS before payment is issued. This is why a campus contact is central to the process. The institution may know whether a local employer is sponsoring students in a particular program, whether a community donor has funds available, or whether a proposed contribution can satisfy NDUS rules.
The match can support both recruitment and retention. A business may sponsor a student it hopes to hire, or a community organization may help fund a talent pipeline in an occupation the region needs. The student benefits from the education funding, while the state and donor are investing in a future worker. This arrangement also explains why two students in the same program may not receive the same amount: the available donor contribution and the student’s eligible costs affect the final award.
Do not confuse the state match with a second scholarship that can be spent on anything. The matching funds remain part of the Career Builders award and are subject to the program rules. Payments are limited to tuition, fees, books, and supplies up to the $17,000 lifetime maximum. Ask the institution how the award will be posted to your account and how it interacts with other aid so that your total financial-aid package does not exceed eligible costs.
How to apply
The official NDUS application instructions are institution-led. Use this sequence:
- Open the NDUS Career Builders page and review the current High-Need and Emerging Occupations List and qualifying program information.
- Confirm that your North Dakota institution and your exact certificate, associate program, or final-two-years bachelor’s program are listed.
- Contact your campus financial aid office or the campus contact responsible for Career Builders. Ask whether matching funds are available for your program and whether the institution will initiate your application.
- Prepare proof of admission or enrollment, your degree plan, current academic record, and any donor or employer information the campus requests. The official page may not require every item at the first conversation, but the institution and NDUS need enough information to confirm eligibility.
- When the campus directs you to apply, create or use an applicant account in the ND State Aid Management System (ND SAMS) Portal and select the ND Career Builders Scholarship application. Do not choose the loan repayment form if you are still seeking scholarship funds for enrollment.
- Complete the application and any Scholarship Award Agreement. Read the residency, employment, completion, GPA, enrollment, and repayment terms before signing.
- Confirm that the matching donation or qualifying public funds have been received by NDUS and that the institution has completed its part of the process before you build a semester budget around the award.
The official page lists the NDUS Financial Aid contact as [email protected] and 701-877-5720. Your campus remains the best first contact because it can identify qualifying programs and available matches. If the campus cannot answer a program-rule question, send NDUS the exact institution, program, and occupation rather than a vague request about “the scholarship.”
Why there is no fixed date in the metadata
The current official instructions do not give applicants one deadline such as a date in June or a date before fall enrollment. Instead, the process depends on the institution initiating the application, the student meeting the program requirements, and the matching funds being confirmed before payment. The page also continues to provide an application route through ND SAMS. That combination supports a rolling designation, but it does not mean a student can wait indefinitely.
A campus may have its own internal deadline for financial-aid packaging, donor commitments, or registration. Those local dates can be earlier than any NDUS processing point. Ask the campus when it needs your documents, when the donor match must be in place, and whether a current term can still be considered. Record the date the campus gives you, but do not replace the public metadata with a campus-specific date that is not stated on the official NDUS program page.
Repayment obligations and risks
The scholarship carries a real service condition. A recipient who withdraws before completing the funded program, fails to live in North Dakota for the required three years, or fails to work in a high-need North Dakota occupation for the required three years can trigger repayment. NDUS says the student may have to repay both the state funds and the private-sector funds received. A separate employer agreement may add obligations beyond the state program, so read those documents together.
This does not mean a change of plan is impossible, but it does mean you should ask before making one. If your program closes, your occupation is removed from the list, your employer changes, or you need to leave the state, contact the campus and NDUS promptly. Do not assume that a pause, transfer, or job in a neighboring state will preserve the award. The Scholarship Award Agreement controls the student’s legal obligations.
Questions to ask the campus
Before applying, get clear answers to these questions:
- Is my exact institution and program on the current qualifying list?
- Which high-need occupation does the program lead to?
- Is a private-sector or qualifying public donor already available for my award?
- What amount is expected, and how much of it is state matching money?
- What internal campus deadline applies to my enrollment term?
- How will the 2.50 GPA and full-time requirements be checked?
- Does my degree plan fit within four semesters or six quarters?
- What happens if I change my major, reduce enrollment, or take a leave?
- When does the three-year North Dakota residency and employment period begin?
- Are there separate obligations in an employer sponsorship agreement?
These questions are more useful than relying on the old “up to $17,000” figure alone. The amount is real, but it is conditional on matching funds, eligible costs, academic progress, enrollment, and the service commitment.
Is this a good fit?
Career Builders may fit a student who has a defined workforce goal, is admitted to a qualifying North Dakota program, can attend full time, and expects to live and work in the state after completion. It may be especially helpful when a local employer or community donor is already looking for people in the student’s field. The combination of sponsorship and state matching can reduce the amount borrowed for a short certificate or degree pathway.
It is less suitable for a student who wants unrestricted aid, has not chosen a qualifying program, cannot meet the full-time or GPA standards, or plans to leave North Dakota immediately after graduation. The program is also not a substitute for a complete budget. Even the maximum award is limited to eligible education costs, and housing, food, transportation, and other living expenses may remain outside the award.
Official links
- North Dakota University System: ND Career Builders
- North Dakota University System: Paying for College
- North Dakota Department of Commerce: Skilled Workforce Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program
- ND State Aid Management System Portal
Bottom line
North Dakota Career Builders remains a current NDUS workforce scholarship and matching-fund program. The official source confirms the maximum award, the eligible program levels, the GPA and enrollment requirements, the matching-fund condition, the ND SAMS application route, and the three-year North Dakota residency and employment commitment. It does not publish one universal deadline. Treat rolling as an instruction to contact your institution promptly, not as permission to postpone the conversation.
Start with the occupation list and your campus. Confirm the exact program, find out whether matching funds are available, complete the NDUS-directed application, and read the award agreement carefully. Those checks are what turn the advertised maximum into a realistic part of your education budget.