South Carolina College Grants

As is true with the rest of the country, South Carolina is full of students who aspire to great things through college but need help to afford the opportunity to attend. As the cost of education rises, the financial burden becomes too much for more and more people, creating an even greater need for the grants and scholarships offered by the state of South Carolina. Administered through the South Carolina Department of Education, there are a number of financial funding opportunities that can help you pay your way through college. Where should you begin your search for free money to help you with your college tuition?

The South Carolina HOPE Scholarship is a merit-based program offering assistance to those who have proven that they have great academic talent and are not receiving other merit scholarships. Only freshmen attending a school within the state are eligible. The LIFE Scholarship is also for academically motivated students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Awards are renewable and partially funded by the state lottery. The state lottery also fund the SC Lottery Tuition Assistance Program (via the South Carolina Education Lottery Program) for those who are attending a two-year state institution.

The South Carolina Tuition Grants Program is a need-based fund for students residing in the state who intend to pursue an education through an independent state college or university program. Depending on the type of institution to be attended, the amount awarded may vary. To qualify, students should start by filling out the FAFSA.

List of South Carolina College Grants

• South Carolina Need-Based Grants Program — $1250 to $2500 awarded each year to up to 23485 undergraduate students attending South Carolina college.


• South Carolina Tuition Grants Program — $100 to $3240 awarded each year to 11000 undergraduate students attending South Carolina college.

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.