Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Guidelines
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education determines initial eligibility. You may view initial eligibility requirements at http://www.che.sc.gov
Back to Top- You must earn a total of 30 credit hours for each academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer). Any credit hours earned before high school graduation, hours exempted by examination, and advanced placement credit do not count towards the 30 hour requirement.
- You must earn a minimum 3.0 University of South Carolina cumulative grade point average on a
4.0 scale by the end of the academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer):
Only the cumulative grade point average earned at the University of South Carolina - Columbia and the University of South Carolina system campuses will be considered in determining eligibility for continuing students.If you have earned a 3.0 University of South Carolina cumulative grade point average by the end of the spring semester and choose to enroll in a summer session(s) you will NOT be eligible to receive the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship if your University of South Carolina cumulative grade point average falls below a 3.0 at the end of that summer session(s).
- You must a recipient of the base Palmetto Fellows Scholarship for the current year.
- You must have completed at least two semesters and be in your sophomore, junior or senior year.
- You must have completed at least 14 hours in mathematics and life and physical science courses or a combination of both during the first year of enrollment. The first year of enrollment includes your fall and spring semesters as well as the summer terms that immediately follow. Courses that can be used to meet the 14 hour requirement include:
- Advanced Placement (AP) courses with a score of three or higher
- Dual Enrollment courses
- International Baccalaureate (IB) courses with a score of four or higher
- Exempted Credit Hours
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Pass/ Fail with a grade of "Pass" only
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You must be majoring in one of the following majors:
Majors Eligible for Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement
Program School Code Major Code Degree Code Nursing 230 050 52 Nursing 230 051 52 Nursing 230 100 00 Nursing 230 999 00 Pharmacy 244 800 61 Exercise Science ** 270 331 41 Public Health 270 586 40 Public Health 270 586 41 Chemistry 390 109 41 Chemistry 390 109 42 Geophysics 390 133 41 Statistics 390 135 41 Mathematics 390 145 41 Marine Science 390 146 41 Physics 390 154 41 Cardiovascular Technology 390 174 41 Geological Science 390 185 41 Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 390 195 41 Biological Science 390 196 41 Education* 420 314 40 Education* 420 314 41 Computer Science 430 108 35 Computer Information Systems 430 125 41 Engineering 430 450 50 Chemical Engineering 430 451 50 Electrical Engineering 430 452 50 Mechanical Engineering 430 454 50 Civil Engineering 430 455 50 Computer Engineering 430 456 50 Biomedical Engineering 430 470 41 Engineering Science 430 475 50 Information Science 440 579 41 *area of emphasis must be in math and science
**To be eligible as an Exercise Science major, the student must have started college in Fall 2010 or later
You may receive the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship for up to eight semesters of undergraduate studies. You may receive the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement for up to six semesters of undergraduate studies.
Back to TopThe Palmetto Fellows Scholarship award amount is determined annually by the South Carolina General Assembly. Currently, the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship award amount at the University of South Carolina - Columbia is $6,700 for freshman. The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship award amount at the University of South Carolina - Columbia for sophomores, juniors and seniors is $7,500.
The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement award amount is $2500 in addition to the base Palmetto Fellows Scholarship award.
Note: The Palmetto Fellows and the Palmetto Fellows Enhancement Scholarship in combination with all other scholarships and grants may not exceed the on-campus resident budget as defined in Title IV regulations.
Back to TopThe Palmetto Fellows and the Palmetto Fellows Enhancement Scholarship will be disbursed in equal amounts at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. The Palmetto Fellows and the Palmetto Fellows Enhancement Scholarship is only available during the fall and spring semesters.
Back to TopIf you participate in a University-sponsored co-op program during the fall or spring semester, you are not eligible to receive the Palmetto Fellows and the Palmetto Fellows Enhancement Scholarship for that semester. You will only need to complete a total of 15 hours for the year and maintain a 3.00 University South Carolina cumulative grade point average to be eligible the following year.
Back to TopSummer school credits earned at another institution and accepted by the University of South Carolina may be used toward the credit hour requirement. However, only the University of South Carolina cumulative grade point average will be considered for the 3.0 grade point average requirement. Remedial courses are not considered toward the credit hour requirement. Please keep in mind that if you need hours earned during summer to meet the renewal criteria, your eligibility for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship cannot be determined until the University of South Carolina has received and processed your final summer school transcript.
Back to TopIf you are receiving the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or any other financial aid, dropping a class or withdrawing may affect your potential refund. Depending upon the type(s) of financial aid awards involved, the withdrawal date, the amount of the refund, and other factors, you might receive a portion of the total refund amount or none of the refund amount. Under certain circumstances, if you withdraw or drop classes, you will be required to repay financial aid funds you received including the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship. This is necessary when the refund amount is insufficient to meet the financial aid fund recovery requirements. If you are considering withdrawing or dropping classes, you should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships before taking this action.
Back to TopA change in your residency and fee payment status to non-resident will lead to the required repayment of your award for any enrollment period in which you are no longer classified as a resident and received the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.
The information on this document is subject to change by either the South Carolina Legislature or the Commission on Higher Education. You may view the most recent guidelines for the Palmetto Fellows program on the Internet at: http://www.che.sc.gov
Back to TopIf you are awarded a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education will notify you and your award will be included in your award notification from the University of South Carolina. Eligibility for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, and for continued eligibility in subsequent years, is based upon the requirements below. Please note the new requirements for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement that must be completed during your freshman year. If you are awarded the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, you must complete an eligibility certification statement aton SSC. Go to SSC , choose Financial Aid, Award, and Award for Aid Year. Then select Terms and Conditions and complete the Certification. Once you have completed the certification, you will need to accept your Scholarship on the Accept Award Offer Tab.