South Carolina Need-Based Grant Program

The South Carolina Need-based Grant provides additional aid to South Carolina’s students with the greatest financial need. A student may receive up to $3,500 annually if enrolled full-time or up to $1,750 annually if enrolled part-time as a degree-seeking student at an eligible public institution. The grant can be applied in any semester of the academic year (i.e. fall, spring, or summer), assuming continued eligibility.

To apply, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The financial aid office on each eligible state public college campus administers the South Carolina Need-Based Grant program, determines the students’ eligibility to receive grant funding, and the exact amount. All gift aid and scholarships must be applied first before awarding the grant. The grant must be applied directly towards the cost-of-attendance. Students may receive up to a maximum of eight full-time equivalent terms. The South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission administers the Need-Based Grant Program for students attending an independent college or university.

Students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program in their first one-year program, first associate’s degree, first two year program leading to a baccalaureate degree, first baccalaureate degree, or first pre-professional undergraduate degree, to include those pre-professional degree programs that may not require a baccalaureate degree at an eligible public state institution.

General Eligibility Requirements:

In order to qualify for consideration for a South Carolina Need-based Grant, a student must meet ALL of the following minimum requirements each academic year:

A) Be a needy student as defined by Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs for determining eligibility for federal student financial aid. The student must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form;

B) Be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident who meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under State residency statutes;

C) Be a legal resident of South Carolina as defined in applicable State statutes governing the determination of residency for tuition and fee purposes;

D) Be enrolled at the time of the grant disbursement in a minimum of twelve credit hours if full-time or six credit hours if part-time for the term at an eligible public institution;

E) Have not been convicted of any felonies or been convicted of any second or subsequent alcohol or drug-related misdemeanor offenses within the past academic year by submitting a signed affidavit to the financial aid office at the institution at which the student is enrolled;

F) Does not owe a refund or repayment on a State Grant, Pell Grant, or a Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and not be in default on a loan under the Federal Perkins Loan or Federal Stafford Loan program; and

G) Complete any other documentation required by the financial aid office at the institution at which the student is enrolled