SC Scholarships are available to residents of South Carolina who meet the requirements after high school graduation. Students may continue to receive scholarship funds as long as the meet the annual review requirements as detailed below.
Year-Round State Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Eligibility Requirements
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SCHOLARSHIP: |
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ANNUAL VALUE: |
$2,800 for the freshman year only |
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DESCRIPTION: |
The HOPE Scholarship Program was established under the SC Education Lottery Act approved by the General Assembly during the 2001 legislative session. The program is a merit-based scholarship created for students attending a four-year institution who do not qualify for the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship. |
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INITIAL REQUIREMENTS: |
High School GPA of at least a 3.0 on the SC Uniform Grading Scale. |
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RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS: |
The HOPE scholarship cannot be renewed after the first year, but a student can gain eligibility for the LIFE scholarship by meeting the GPA and Hour requirements for their second, third and/or fourth academic year:
If a student loses eligibility for one academic year, they can regain the scholarship in future academic years. |
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LIFE GPA: |
The LIFE GPA calculation will include all hours and all grades (excluding remedial coursework) from all institutions. Eligible credit hours and grades that do not transfer based upon Winthrop University's policies must also be included. Students are responsible for submitting official transcripts from all eligible institutions attended to calculate the LIFE GPA and meet the annual credit hour requirement. DegreeWorks cannot be used to determine state scholarship eligibility. Note - “S” and “CR” grades do count as earned credits toward renewal requirements, but they will not help or hurt your GPA. |
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LIFE ENHANCEMENT: |
Students who declare approved math or science majors by the first day of class for their second year at Winthrop University will be eligible to receive the Enhancement (additional $2,500 per year) if they earn the LIFE scholarship in their second, third and fourth year and at least 14 hours of Math or Science coursework were earned by the end of their first year. Eligible majors include: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Environmental Science, Exercise Science, Human Nutrition, Middle Education (math/science option only), Applied Software Development (fall 2020 students and beyond), and Data Science (fall 2020 students and beyond). |
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SCHOLARSHIP: |
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ANNUAL VALUE: |
$5,000/year for up to four consecutive years of eligibility from initial college enrollment |
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DESCRIPTION: |
The Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence (LIFE) is a merit-based scholarship program administered by the financial aid office at each eligible public an independent college and university in South Carolina for up to eight terms. |
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INITIAL REQUIREMENTS: |
Students must meet two (2) of the three (3) following criteria out of high school:
1At least 1100 on the new SAT (test taken after February 2016). You may "super score" your best raw scores on the evidence-based reading/writing section and your score in the math section to meet the minimum SAT requirement. |
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RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS: |
LIFE scholarship can be renewed by meeting the GPA and Hour requirements for a student's second, third and/or fourth academic year:
If a student loses eligibility for one academic year, they can regain the scholarship in future academic years. |
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LIFE GPA: |
The LIFE GPA calculation will include all hours and all grades (excluding remedial coursework) from all institutions. Eligible credit hours and grades that do not transfer based upon Winthrop University's policies must also be included. Students are responsible for submitting official transcripts from all eligible institutions attended to calculate the LIFE GPA and meet the annual credit hour requirement. DegreeWorks cannot be used to determine state scholarship eligibility. Note - “S” and “CR” grades do count as earned credits toward renewal requirements, but they will not help or hurt your GPA. |
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ENHANCEMENT: |
Students who declare approved math or science majors by the first day of class for their second year at Winthrop University will be eligible to receive the Enhancement (additional $2,500 per year) if they earn the LIFE scholarship in their second, third and fourth year and at least 14 hours of Math or Science coursework were earned by the end of their first year. Eligible majors include: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Environmental Science, Exercise Science, Human Nutrition, Middle Education (math/science option only), Applied Software Development (fall 2020 students and beyond), and Data Science (fall 2020 students and beyond). |
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SCHOLARSHIP: |
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ANNUAL VALUE: |
$6,700/year for the first year, $7,500/year for continuing students for up to three years for a total of four years of funding. |
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DESCRIPTION: |
The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program established in 1988 to recognize the most academically talented high school seniors and encourage these students to attend college in South Carolina. |
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INITIAL REQUIREMENTS: |
Students must meet the SC criteria and work with their high school guidance counselors regarding eligibility. Please review the website of the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) for the specific information on eligibility. Winthrop University will receive an initial list of PFS recipients from CHE in mid-March. Winthrop will receive a second list of PFS recipients in late-August. |
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RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS: |
The PFS can be renewed by earning 30 hours each academic year and maintaining a Winthrop GPA of 3.000. If a student loses eligibility for the Palmetto Fellows for the next academic year, it can not be regained but the student may have remaining eligibility for the LIFE scholarship. |
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WINTHROP GPA: |
The GPA used to determine renewal of the PFS will only include grades earned at Winthrop University. Students can view their Winthrop GPA through DegreeWorks. |
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ENHANCEMENT: |
Students who declare approved math or science majors by the first day of class for their second year at Winthrop University will be eligible to receive the Enhancement (additional $2,500 per year) if they earn the Palmetto Fellows scholarship in their second, third and fourth year and at least 14 hours of Math or Science coursework were earned by the end of their first year. Eligible majors include: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Environmental Science, Exercise Science, Human Nutrition, Middle Education (math/science option only), Applied Software Development (fall 2020 students and beyond), and Data Science (fall 2020 students and beyond). |
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FINAL TERM: |
Students in their final term, who have applied for graduation, are not required to attend full-time to receive the Palmetto Fellows scholarship. Their scholarship will be pro-rated based on the number of hours they are taking (e.g. those taking 6 hours will receive 50% of the scholarship amount, which is $1875). Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine if other aid will be affected if they do not attend full-time before making a decision on their class schedule. |
General Eligibility Requirements
