fbpx

Eligibility Criteria for the Life Scholarship

by

The LIFE Scholarship in South Carolina is a program that helps smart students pay for college. It’s based on how well you do in school, like your grades and test scores.

If you qualify, it can help cover the cost of tuition and some fees at certain colleges in South Carolina.

However, you need to meet certain academic standards to get it, and you have to keep meeting those standards to keep getting it each year.

This article covers all the Life Scholarship eligibility criteria for freshman, continuing and transfer students..

General Eligibility Requirements

To get the LIFE Scholarship, you need to:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or a noncitizen who meets state residency rules.
  • Be a resident of South Carolina when you finish high school and when you get the scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria for Freshman

To be eligible for the LIFE Scholarship as a new student, you need to:

  • Meet all the general requirements.
  • Meet two out of these three requirements:
  • Have a final high school GPA of 3.00 based on the SC Uniform Grading Policy.
  • Score at least 1100 on the SAT combined critical reading and math sections, or 24 on the ACT. (For Fall 2023 and later, the ACT score needed will be 22.)
  • Be 30% above your class during Graduation.
  • Graduate from a South Carolina high school, or if you graduate from a high school outside of South Carolina while living with a parent or guardian who’s a South Carolina resident, you need to tell the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
  • Be a full-time student working towards your first bachelor’s degree.
  • Not receive the South Carolina Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.
  • Not have been convicted of more than one alcohol or drug-related misdemeanor in the past year.
  • Not have been found guilty of a felony.
  • Not be in trouble for not paying back any federal or state financial aid.
  • Be making satisfactory academic progress.

Eligibility Criteria for Continuing Student

To keep the LIFE Scholarship as a current student, you need to:

  • Keep meeting all the general requirements.
  • Stay a resident of South Carolina.
  • Meet extra renewal rules, like maintaining your GPA and earning enough credit hours each term.
  • Follow rules about summers and co-op experiences.

Eligibility Criteria for Transfer Student

To be eligible for the LIFE Scholarship as a transfer student at USC, you need to:

  • Meet all the general eligibility requirements.
  • Your eligibility in your first year at USC is decided by your initial college enrollment and all non-remedial hours earned, as well as your cumulative GPA at your previous college(s).

Life Scholarship Amount

The maximum amount for the LIFE Scholarship is:

  • $5,000 for the base scholarship.
  • An extra $2,500 for second, third, or fourth-year recipients studying math or science who meet all requirements for the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement.
  • The scholarship is split, with half given in the Fall term and half in the Spring term.

Remember, all your scholarships and grants together can’t be more than the total cost of going to school, according to Title IV regulations.

Life Scholarship Program Withdrawal

If you have the LIFE Scholarship or other financial aid, dropping a class or withdrawing might impact your refund.

The amount you get back depends on factors like the type of financial aid, when you withdraw, and the refund amount.

In some cases, you might need to repay part or all of the financial aid.

Before making this decision, talk to a Financial Aid Administrator to get guidance.

Becoming Eligible for Life Scholarship

To qualify for the LIFE Scholarship after not being initially eligible, follow these steps:

  • Meet all general eligibility requirements.
  • By the end of the academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer), earn 30 credit hours, excluding certain courses like remedial ones, non-degree credit courses for degrees, and continuing education courses.
  • Credits earned before high school graduation, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits, exempted credits, and those earned during active duty count toward the credit hour requirement.
  • If you received the HOPE Scholarship and started college mid-year, you can qualify for LIFE by earning 15 credit hours by the end of the academic year (Spring, Summer).
  • Achieve a minimum 3.0 LIFE GPA by the end of the academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer), calculated from all your eligible public and private institution GPAs, excluding specific course types.

FAQs

#1.How much does life Scholarship award?

The Legislative Incentives for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarships are worth $5,000 annually. 

#2. How to know my Life GPA?

Life GPA = Total Quality Points / Total Credit Hours Attempted.

Conclusion

The LIFE Scholarship at the University of South Carolina is $5,000. If you want to get the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, you need to meet some extra requirements in your first year.

If you lose eligibility, you can get it back by meeting the requirements next year.

Remember, all your scholarships and grants can’t be more than the cost of going to school.

Leave a Comment