Page 62 - SCICU - College Guide (2018-2019)

Financial Aid Information

Note: Since the South Carolina HOPE Scholarship is for the first year of attendance only, students may earn eligibility
for the LIFE Scholarship beginning with their second/sophomore year based on initial college enrollment.
Early Graduates:
Students who complete their high school graduation requirements prior to the official graduation date of May/June
of their senior year may be eligible to receive the HOPE Scholarship. All decisions regarding students’ Early Graduation
Applications will be based on the documentation/information submitted to the institution by the institution’s
established deadline. Students must check with their institution’s financial aid department for required documentation.
A checklist can be obtained from the Commission on Higher Education’s web site at www.che.sc.gov.
For more information about the South Carolina HOPE Scholarship, please visit the Commission on Higher Education’s
web site at www.che.sc.gov or contact the SC HOPE Scholarship Program Manager at (803) 737-2260.

ADDITIONAL SOUTH C AR OLINA FINANCIAL AID PR OGR AMS
LOTTERY TUITION ASSISTANCE
The Lottery Tuition Assistance Program was established in 2001 under the South Carolina Education Lottery Act. It
was created to provide a supplemental resource to South Carolina residents attending eligible two-year public or
independent institutions. The financial aid office on each two-year college campus administers the Lottery Tuition
Assistance Program.
Actual award amounts are dependent upon the number of eligible students, the amount of funding available and the
number of hours each student is enrolled. For the two-year public institutions, students may receive up to the cost-of-
tuition. At Spartanburg Methodist College (the State’s only eligible two-year independent college), the award amount
is limited to the highest in-state tuition rate at the two-year public institutions.
In calculating the amount awarded in Lottery Tuition Assistance, all federal grants and the South Carolina need-
based grant must be awarded prior to determining the amount eligible in Lottery Tuition Assistance. Lottery Tuition
Assistance must be applied to the payment of tuition costs. The college at which the student is enrolled will notify the
student if funds are awarded. The notification also will include the exact award amount and the terms/conditions of
the award.

General Eligibility Requirements:
In order to qualify for Lottery Tuition Assistance, a student must meet all of the following minimum requirements
before being awarded:
• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and complete the process to determine eligibility for
federal student aid or complete the FAFSA Waiver each academic year;
• Be a US citizen or a legal permanent resident;
• Qualify for in-state tuition and be a legal resident of South Carolina;
• Be enrolled at least part-time (six credit hours for the term) and degree-seeking at the time of grant
disbursement;
• Be making satisfactory academic progress towards an associate’s degree;
• Verify that he/she is not in default and does not owe a refund or repayment on any federal or state financial aid;
and
• Cannot receive nor be eligible to receive the South Carolina HOPE, LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship during the
same academic year.

Early Graduates:
Students who complete their high school graduation requirements prior to the official graduation date of May/
June of their senior year may be eligible to receive the Lottery Tuition Assistance. All decisions regarding students’
Early Graduation Applications will be based on the documentation/information submitted to the institution by the
institution’s established deadline. Students must check with their institution’s financial aid department for required
documentation. A checklist can be obtained from the Commission on Higher Education’s web site at www.che.sc.gov.
For more information about the Lottery Tuition Assistance Program, please visit the Commission on Higher Education’s
website at www.che.sc.gov or contact the Lottery Tuition Assistance Program Manager at (803) 737-2260.
Eligible students who wish to use their state scholarship for the summer term(s) should contact the financial aid
administrator at their institution.

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