LIFE Scholarship

Requirements

• Graduate from an accredited South Carolina high school with a 3.0 or higher GPA.
• To accept the LIFE Scholarship students must read, sign and submit a LIFE Affidavit, which is found in the student's MyTCTC Student Portal.
• Transfer students must self-identify as LIFE recipients by sending a copy of their high school and college transcripts, as well as a copy of their prior award to the Financial Aid office.
• To qualify for LIFE each semester students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours).
• To keep LIFE Scholarship after the first year, students must earn at least a 3.0 GPA and 30 college-level credit hours during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.

Rules and Regulations

• For SC residents- the total LIFE scholarship for the academic year will not exceed $5,000. The scholarship will be divided equally between fall ($2,500) and spring ($2,500) semesters.
• This figure does include the $300 annual book allowance.
• LIFE Scholarship may be used for the summer term if the student meets the renewal criteria at the end of the spring semester. The student must be attending at least 12 hours for summer and must take the hours at their home institution.
• Students who wish to use LIFE Scholarship in summer must self-identify to the Financial Aid office. Using LIFE during summer will not extend LIFE eligibility.
• Remedial/developmental courses or non-degree DO NOT count towards the 12 credit hours needed (examples include: ENG 031, ENG 032, ENG 100, ENG 150, RDG 032, RDG 100, MAT 010, MAT 012, MAT 031, MAT 032, MAT 150, BIO 100, CHM 100).
• Beginning with the Fall 2021 term, students who are enrolled in identified Associates Degree programs that exceed 68 credit hours to completion, at eligible two-year institutions, may receive the LIFE Scholarship for up to six consecutive terms. A list of those eligible programs can be found here.

For further information pertaining to the LIFE Scholarship or Life Enhancement, please click here.

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship

Requirements

• Initial application for this scholarship must be submitted during the student's senior year of high school by the school counselor/representative.
• Graduate from an accredited South Carolina high school with one of the following:
  • Score at least 1200 on the SAT (27 on the ACT) by the June national test administration of the senior year; earn a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA on the SC UGP at the end of the senior year; and, rank in the top six percent of the class at the end of the sophomore, junior or senior year; OR
  • Score at least 1400 on the SAT (32 on the ACT) by the June national test administration of the senior year and earn a minimum 4.00 cumulative GPA on the SC UGP at the end of the senior year.
• To accept the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship students must read, sign and submit a Palmetto Fellows Affidavit, which is found in the student's MyTCTC Student Portal.
• Transfer students will need to complete the In-State Transfer Form and get approval from the Commission on Higher Education. The form is located here.
• To qualify for Palmetto Fellows each semester students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours).
• To keep the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship after the first year, students must earn at least a 3.0 GPA and 30 college-level credit hours during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.

Rules and Regulations

• For SC residents- the total Palmetto Fellows scholarship will not exceed $6,700 (for the first academic year) and $7,500 (for the second academic year). The scholarship will be divided equally between fall and spring semesters.
• Palmetto Fellows Scholarship may be used for the summer term if the student meets the renewal criteria at the end of the spring semester. The student must be attending at least 12 hours for summer and must take the hours at their home institution.
• Students who wish to use Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in summer must self-identify to the Financial Aid office. Using Palmetto Fellows during summer will not extend Palmetto Fellows eligibility.
• Remedial/developmental courses or non-degree DO NOT count towards the 12 credit hours needed (examples include: ENG 031, ENG 032, ENG 100, ENG 150, RDG 032, RDG 100, MAT 010, MAT 012, MAT 031, MAT 032, MAT 150, BIO 100, CHM 100).

For further information pertaining to the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows Enhancement, please click here.

Lottery Tuition Assistance

• State funded program awarded to South Carolina residents
• Must meet residency requirements
• Awarded by completing the FAFSA application
• High School students or students with Bachelor's degrees do not need to complete the FAFSA. These students complete a Lottery Tuition Assistance waiver form for the appropriate aid year and return it to the Financial Aid Office (First Floor, Ruby Hicks).
• Applies to cost of tuition only
• Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA after attempting 24 or more semester hours.
• Must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours per semester
• Does not cover Continuing Education classes or non-credit classes
• Award amount varies annually.
• Further Information About Lottery Tuition Assistance

SC Workforce Scholarships for the Future

Tuition and required fees at the state’s sixteen technical colleges will be covered for South Carolina residents (adults and recent high school graduates) enrolled in a high-demand field such as healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality/tourism, construction, transportation, distribution and logistics, criminal justice, early care and education and human services

PROPOSAL BENEFITS

• Produces a highly skilled workforce for South Carolina business and industry.
• Reduces the cost of higher education in the Palmetto State.
• Lowers student loan debt for South Carolinians.
• Increases the percentage of citizens with a certificate, diploma or degree to include recent high school graduates and adults.
• Allows for tuition assistance in non-credit credential programs such as commercial truck driving and forklift operation.
• Increases accessibility to higher education in the state by having a campus available within 30 minutes.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Workforce Scholarships for the Future will cover tuition and required fees at the state’s sixteen technical colleges for South Carolina residents enrolled in a high-demand field such as manufacturing, healthcare, computer science and information technology, transportation, distribution and logistics or construction. The scholarship will cover any tuition and required fees after applying all other scholarships or grants. It will be implemented in two phases:

Phase One: Pilot Program

Who: All South Carolina citizens (adults and recent high school graduates) enrolled in a qualified program.

What: $17M provided from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief monies to cover tuition and required fees at any one of South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges starting January 2022 until funds are exhausted. The scholarship will cover any tuition and required fees after applying all other scholarships or grants.

Phase Two: Comprehensive Program to Make Scholarship Permanent

Who: All South Carolina citizens (adults and recent high school graduates) enrolled in a qualified program.

What: Requesting that the General Assembly allocate $124M in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to cover tuition and required fees at any of the state’s 16 technical colleges for all South Carolinians from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024.

Student Responsibility

Credit-seeking students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete a FAFSA.

All participating students must complete one of the following requirements: 1) be employed, 2) take a financial literacy course offered at the technical college or 3) complete 100 hours of voluntary time contributing to a nonprofit or public service organization.​