The South Carolina Tuition Grants Program is administered by the SC Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission through an annual appropriation by the State General Assembly. The program’s purpose is to provide need-based grant assistance to eligible South Carolina students obtaining an initial undergraduate degree who are attending, on a full time basis, eligible independent non-profit in-state colleges.
Scholarship Details
- Administered by the South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission
- Funded through annual appropriations from the South Carolina General Assembly
- Provides need-based grant assistance to eligible students
- Available to students pursuing their initial undergraduate degree
Eligibility Criteria
- Must submit the FAFSA each year by the August 1st deadline
- Must demonstrate financial need based on FAFSA information
- Must meet South Carolina residency requirements
- Independent students or the parent of a dependent student must have been legally domiciled in South Carolina for at least 12 months before the start of the fall semester
- Must enroll full-time in at least 12 eligible credit hours per semester
- Must attend one of the eligible independent nonprofit colleges or universities in South Carolina
- Must be a degree-seeking undergraduate student who has not yet earned a bachelor’s degree
- Must meet all federal Title IV financial aid eligibility requirements
- Must complete the required State Felony, Drug, and Alcohol Affidavit annually
- First-time freshmen must possess a high school diploma, GED, or Adult Education Diploma and be fully admitted as degree-seeking students
- Returning students must meet their institution’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements
Application Process
- Apply for admission to an eligible independent nonprofit college or university in South Carolina
- Complete and submit the FAFSA before the August 1 deadline
- Ensure all requested FAFSA verification materials are submitted if selected for verification
- Demonstrate financial need through FAFSA and institutional financial aid review
- Complete the required State Felony, Drug, and Alcohol Affidavit through your college’s process
- Enroll full-time as a degree-seeking undergraduate student
- Work with your college’s financial aid office to confirm eligibility and award status
All eligible applications received by the federal processor by the August 1 deadline will be eligible for funding, assuming all other eligibility criteria are met. Because the South Carolina Tuition Grant is based on financial need, the information provided on the FAFSA is used to determine eligibility. To have demonstrated financial need, the SAI calculated from your FAFSA form must be less than the total Cost of Attendance (COA) of your institution. COA – SAI* = Need. *A negative SAI will be replaced with $0 during the need calculation.
