State Grants & Scholarships

Like most states, South Carolina provides a variety of need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships for its resident college-bound students. These programs are designed to make college more accessible to students within the state, and to give students an incentive to remain in the state following graduation.

SOUTH CAROLINA NEED-BASED GRANT

The South Carolina Need-Based Grant (SCNBG) is awarded based on financial need. Students are eligible to receive SCNBG for a maximum of eight full-time equivalent semesters.

Requirements to receive a South Carolina Need-Based Grant

Must be a South Carolina resident.
Must have a South Carolina high school diploma or GED certificate.
Must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours in a program approved for Title IV Federal Student aid.
Must not have earned an associate degree or higher.
Must not have a criminal record or a drug-related conviction.

Other program requirements apply.

SC LOTTERY TUITION ASSISTANCE

The South Carolina Lottery Tuition Assistance (SCLTA) is a state grant with award amounts which are subject to change. The award is applied to tuition and fees, not books. If students have enough grant funds to cover the cost of their tuition and fees, they will not receive SCLTA. If grants cover only a portion of tuition and fees, they will receive SCLTA not to exceed the uncovered portion of their tuition and fees nor the maximum of the SCLTA for which they are eligible.

DEADLINES

2025 Fall: form submission deadline is 3/1/2026
2026 Spring: form submission deadline is 5/15/2026
2026 Summer: form submission deadline is 8/1/2026

To be eligible for lottery funds, a student

Must be a South Carolina resident.
Must complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Must be admitted in certificate, diploma or associate degree program.
Must be enrolled in at least six credit hours.
Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
Cannot owe a refund or repayment of a state grant, Federal Pell Grant, or FSEOG.
Cannot be in default on a loan under the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, or William D. Ford programs.
Cannot be a LIFE Scholarship recipient.
Must not have received a LIFE Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in fall or spring at another college.

Read more about the SCLTA »

LIFE SCHOLARSHIP

South Carolina LIFE Scholarship - Legislative Incentives for Future Excellence

Eligibility for this state scholarship is determined by academic merit. This award does not require completing a FAFSA, but it is highly recommended. Students are reviewed for eligibility when a final high school transcript has been provided to GTC Admissions.

DEADLINES

for Fall: form submission deadline is the previous March 1
for Spring: form submission deadline is the previous May 15
for Summer: form submission deadline is the previous August 1

Entering freshmen requirements include the following:

Must be a South Carolina resident and U.S. Citizen/Legal Permanent Resident at the time of high school graduation.
Must be a South Carolina high school graduate.
Must have a 3.0 high school grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated under the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy (SCUGP).
Must have no felony convictions.
Must have no drug or alcohol convictions in preceding 12 months/calendar year.
Must be a full-time undergraduate student in an eligible program.
Must take 12 non-developmental credits (100-level and below courses are developmental).

Additional requirements for continuing or transfer students include the following:

Must have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA (all colleges attended).
Must have completed a minimum of 30 curriculum credit hours in prior academic year (15 credit hours, if enrollment started in January).
Must have no felony, drug or alcohol convictions in preceding 12 months/calendar year.

LIFE Scholarships are available for the following:

One-year diploma/certificate program = two semesters
Two-year degree = four semesters
Third-year degree = six semesters (must be an eligible 68 or more credit hour program)
Four-year degree = eight semesters

LIFE Scholars will be identified by the Financial Aid Office.

More about LIFE Scholarship requirements and summer term guidelines »

LIFE Scholarship application (student disabilities, transfer students and early high school grads) (pdf) »

PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIP

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program is a merit-based scholarship program administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. The scholarship must be applied directly toward the cost of attendance, less any other gift aid received.

First year: $6,700
Year 2: $7,500

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship recipients must complete and submit the Palmetto Fellows Certification Form.

DEADLINES

for Fall: form submission deadline is the previous March 1
for Spring: form submission deadline is the previous May 15
for Summer: form submission deadline is the previous August 1

Palmetto Fellows Continuing Eligibility Requirements

Once a student has been awarded a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, they must do the following to maintain their Scholarship each academic year:

Earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at the student’s home institution by the end of each academic year (fall, spring and summer); and
Earn at least 30 nonremedial credit hours for graduation purposes by the end of each academic year. Exempted credit hours (i.e., AP, IB, CLEP), credit hours earned before high school graduation (i.e., dual enrollment courses) and credit hours earned the summer term immediately following high school graduation cannot be used to meet the annual credit hours requirement. Credit hours earned before high school graduation including Advanced Placement (AP) credit hours, International Baccalaureate (IB) credit hours, exempted credit hours earned on active duty, must be placed on the student’s official high school transcript by the institution at which they are earned, and be counted toward the annual credit hours requirement. Eligible Palmetto Fellow Scholarship requirements may prorate their award for the term of graduation (see section 62-330-B3).

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship recipients must also maintain SC residency, cannot be in default or owe a refund/repayment on any state or federal financial aid, student is also required to certify affidavit on conviction of felonies and submit any required documentation to the financial aid office.
Palmetto Fellows recipients attending two year colleges in SC are not eligible for Palmetto Fellows Enhancement amounts. Palmetto Fellows Scholarship recipients must complete and submit the Palmetto Fellows Certification Form each award year they intend to receive the scholarship.
In determining the amount awarded for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, all other sources of gift aid, including federal, State, private and institutional funds, must be applied to the unmet cost-of-attendance before calculating the Scholarship amount.

CAREER PATHWAYS SCHOLARSHIP

The Career Pathways Scholarship at Greenville Technical College is designed to address workforce shortages for specific programs determined at the State level.

Get details and requirements for the Career Pathways Scholarship »