South Carolina HOPE Scholarship
Offered by South Carolina Commission on Higher Education
About this scholarship
The South Carolina HOPE Scholarship is a state merit award for first-time freshmen at eligible four-year public or independent institutions in South Carolina. It is intended for students who do not qualify for the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship. The maximum is $2,800 for the freshman year, including a $300 book allowance, and the institution normally divides the award between fall and spring. This corrects the $11,200 total and December 31 deadline shown by some scholarship directories: HOPE is not renewable for four years, and students do not submit a separate public application. Instead, the participating college’s financial-aid office verifies eligibility from the final official high-school transcript and any other records it requires by its own deadline. Applicants need a final cumulative 3.0 GPA under the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy; a 2.99 cannot be rounded up. They must also satisfy South Carolina residency, lawful-presence, full-time degree-seeking enrollment, and state conduct and financial-aid standing requirements. HOPE cannot be received at the same time as LIFE, Palmetto Fellows, or Lottery Tuition Assistance. A recipient who finishes the first academic year with a 3.0 LIFE GPA and the required average of 30 credit hours may become eligible for LIFE beginning in the second year.
Eligibility
- Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who meets the state definition of an eligible non-citizen
- Be a legal South Carolina resident at high-school graduation and college enrollment under state rules
- Enter an eligible South Carolina four-year public or independent institution as a first-time freshman
- Enroll full time as a degree-seeking undergraduate
- Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative high-school GPA under the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy without rounding
- Not qualify for or receive the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or Lottery Tuition Assistance
- Meet state felony and alcohol- or drug-related conviction restrictions
- Not owe a refund or repayment on specified grants and not be in default on specified federal student loans
- Submit the final official transcript and any institution-required documentation by the college financial-aid deadline