Terms of Eligibility

Once you've exhausted your eligibility after your first year, you may be eligible for the LIFE Scholarship.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen under state residency statutes.
• You must be a South Carolina resident at the time of high school graduation and during the period of award.
• You must have graduated from a South Carolina high school or graduated from a high school outside of South Carolina while a dependent of a parent or legal guardian who is a legal resident. If you graduated from a high school outside of South Carolina, you are expected to self-identify to the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships in order to be assured that you are not overlooked during the university's review of LIFE-eligible students.
• You must be a full-time, first-year undergraduate student seeking your first baccalaureate degree.
• You must not be receiving either a South Carolina Palmetto Fellows or LIFE Scholarship.
• You must not have been convicted of any second or subsequent alcohol or drug-related misdemeanor in any state within the past academic year.
• You must not have been judged delinquent, nor have been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any felony in any state.
• You must not be in default or owe a refund or repayment on any federal or state financial aid.
• You must have a 3.00 final high school grade point average based on the SC Uniform Grading Policy.
• You must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Award Disbursement

• The $2,800 award represents $2,500 related to tuition expenses plus an additional $300 for textbooks.
• The HOPE Scholarship is only available during the fall and spring semesters.
• The HOPE Scholarship will be disbursed in equal amounts at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.

Dropping a Class or Withdrawing

• If you are receiving the HOPE 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 from or drop classes, you will be required to repay financial aid funds you received including the HOPE Scholarship. This is necessary when the refund amount is insufficient to meet the financial aid fund recovery requirements.
• If you are considering withdrawing from or dropping classes, you should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships before taking this action.

Changes in Residency

• A change in your residency and fee payment status to nonresident 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 HOPE Scholarship.