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The Life Scholarship

Students in South Carolina have a great option to help with their college tuition. They can apply for the LIFE Scholarship. The LIFE Scholarship makes affording college in South Carolina possible.

What Is the LIFE Scholarship?

Life Scholarships are renewable college scholarships for residents of South Carolina. They are merit-based scholarships. Public and private institutions in South Carolina award the scholarships.

Students may use the LIFE Scholarship for up to eight semesters from their initial college enrollment date. The money they receive goes towards their college tuition.

Ready for the best part? The LIFE Scholarship doesn’t require students to fill out an application at all. Freshman and transfer students accepted to eligible schools in South Carolina, receive the scholarship if they qualify.

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How Much Money Do You Get From the LIFE Scholarship?

Students receive $5,000 per year from the LIFE Scholarship. Sophomore, junior, and senior students in science and math-related fields may receive $7,500 per year.

How Do You Qualify for the LIFE Scholarship?

To qualify for the LIFE Scholarship, students must be:

  • U.S Citizens
  • South Carolina residents
  • Graduates of a South Carolina high school
  • Full-time undergraduate students pursuing their Bachelor’s degree

Entering freshman students must meet two of the following three requirements:

  • Minimum 3.0 high school GPA
  • Minimum 1100 on SAT or 24 on the ACT
  • Graduated in top 30% of high school class

Students must have no felonies. They also must have no alcohol or drug misdemeanors for 12 months prior to the award. Students must not owe money on any federal or state financial aid.

Students who drop below full-time status or withdraw from school may lose their aid. In some cases, they may even have to repay part, or all, of the financial aid they received. Students should check with their school’s financial aid office before making any changes in their status.

If you believe that you are eligible for the scholarship, but haven’t received a notification, contact the financial aid office at your school.

What GPA Do You Need to Keep the Scholarship?

To keep the scholarship, students must earn a minimum cumulative LIFE GPA of 3.0. They also must earn an average of 30 credits per year to maintain the scholarship.

The LIFE GPA determines your eligibility for the LIFE Scholarship. The LIFE GPA is the cumulative GPA earned at all eligible public and independent institutions. This includes credits and the GPA that a student earned before graduating high school. It does not include remedial or developmental courses, non-degree credit courses, and continuing education courses.

Can You Regain the LIFE Scholarship?

Students who don’t meet the minimum GPA requirements or the credit hours will no longer be eligible to receive the LIFE Scholarship. But, they may regain eligibility if they have a minimum 3.0 GPA by the end of the next academic year. They also must have another 30 credit hours.

Students may be able to use the summer to improve their GPA or earn more credits. Students who want to earn credits from another school should verify that their school will accept these credits.

How to Appeal If You Lose the LIFE Scholarship?

Extenuating life circumstances may have prevented students from maintaining their LIFE Scholarship eligibility. If this is the case, they may submit an appeal to the Commission on Higher Education.

Students may get an application for appeal after June 1. They can find this in their institution’s Financial Aid Office or the Commission on Higher Education. They can also apply online. They must submit the application by late September.

Final Thoughts

The LIFE Scholarship increases access to a college education. It also helps to encourage students to graduate from school on time.

Students are awarded the scholarship for academic excellence. To maintain the scholarship, they need to earn a minimum cumulative LIFE GPA of 3.0. It’s possible to lose the scholarship if you fall below the GPA. But, it’s also possible to regain the scholarship by improving your GPA by the next academic year.

The scholarship is a great way for students in South Carolina to pay for college. Perhaps best of all, students don’t even need to fill out an application!