First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard have awarded 34 PREMIER Community and PREMIER Employee Depenedent Scholarships to 34 students. A full list of the 2026 scholarship recipients can be viewed here. Each student will receive $2,000 for the 2026-27 academic year.

“Over the years, PREMIER has invested millions of dollars in scholarships for both our communities and our employees’ families,” said PREMIER Bankcard CEO Miles Beacom. “We see this as one of the most meaningful investments we can make, because these students will help shape our future.”

PREMIER awarded 18 Community Scholarships to students planning to attend a South Dakota college, university or technical school. In addition, 16 scholarships were awarded to high school seniors whose parent or guardian is employed by PREMIER.

“PREMIER is recognized as one of the strongest financial organizations in the country,” Beacom said. “That strength allows us to reinvest in our communities and in South Dakota through impactful, long‑term initiatives.”

In 2021, PREMIER committed $150 million to launch the Freedom Scholarship, South Dakota’s first need-based scholarship program. In partnership with Sanford Health, Avera Health and the State of South Dakota, the endowment has grown to more than $225 million in its first several years. Students who receive Freedom Scholarship funds give back by working in South Dakota for three years after graduation.

PREMIER also partnered with philanthropist T. Denny Sanford and the State of South Dakota to establish and sustain the Build Dakota Scholarship Program. This public‑private partnership provides free technical college education—including tuition, books and tools—in exchange for a three‑year work commitment in one of the state’s high‑need industries.

“Serving others and giving back are at the heart of First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard,” Beacom said. “That’s the PREMIER Way.”