Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program established in 1988 and is administered bythe South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. The annual award amount for the freshman year is up to $6,700. The award amount for the sophomore, junior and senior years is up to $7,500 per year. Half of the Scholarship is awarded in the fall term and half in the spring. 

The Scholarship must be applied directly toward the cost of attendance, less any other gift aid received. Assuming continued eligibility, Palmetto Fellows may receive scholarship funding for a maximum of two consecutive terms towards a one-year certificate or diploma program, or four terms (based on the date of initial college enrollment) toward the first associate degree or two-year diploma program, or eight terms (based on the date of initial college enrollment) toward the first bachelor’s degree or a program of study that is structured so as not to require a bachelor’s degree and leads to a graduate degree or for no more than a total of ten terms (based on the date of initial college enrollment) toward the first approved five-year bachelor’s degree at an eligible two-year or four-year institution in South Carolina.

Purpose of the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship:

• RECOGNIZE the most academically talented high school seniors in S.C.;
• ENCOURAGE academically talented students to attend college in the State; and
• RETAIN talented minority students who might otherwise pursue studies outside the State.

Initial Eligibility Requirements:

General Requirements:

• In order to be eligible to apply for a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, a high school senior must also meet all of the following general eligibility requirements:

1. Be enrolled in an approved SC public or private high school, an eligible SC home school program of study or a preparatory high school located outside the State while a dependent of a legal resident of South Carolina;
2. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) at the time of high school graduation and be a legal resident of South Carolina as defined in applicable State statutes governing the determination of residency for tuition and fee purposes at the time of high school graduation;
3. Be seriously considering attending, have applied, or have been accepted for admission to an eligible institution in South Carolina;
4. Certify that he/she has never been convicted of any felonies and has not been convicted of any
   second or subsequent alcohol or other drug-related misdemeanor offenses within the past academic year by submitting a signed affidavit to the college financial aid office; and
5. Cannot be a recipient of the LIFE Scholarship, SC HOPE Scholarship or Lottery Tuition Assistance in the same academic year.

Academic Requirements:

For Early Awards, the school counselor/representative must submit the application and required documentation to the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship by April 15th of the student’s senior year. If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday the deadline is the preceding Friday (students cannot use the Early Awards criteria to be eligible for the Late Awards). Students are eligible to apply if they meet one of the following sets of academic requirements:

1. Score at least 1200 on the SAT (25 on the ACT)1 by the March national test administration, earn a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA2 on the SC Uniform Grading Policy (SC UGP) at the end of the junior year, and rank in the top six percent of the class at the end of either the sophomore or the junior year; OR
2. Score at least 1400 on the SAT (31 on the ACT)1 by the March national test administration and earn a minimum 4.00 cumulative GPA2 on the SC UGP at the end of the junior year.