Award Amounts

• Freshman Year: Up to $6,700 annually.
• Sophomore, Junior and Senior Years: Students may receive up to $7,500 per year if renewal requirements are met.
  
  NOTE: The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is only available for the freshman and sophomore years at a two-year college like Trident Technical College.

 

General Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, high school seniors must:

• Be enrolled in an approved South Carolina public or private high school, an eligible homeschool program or a preparatory school located out-of-state while being dependents of South Carolina residents.
• Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card holders) at high school graduation and legal residents of South Carolina.
• Enroll in or gain acceptance to an eligible institution in South Carolina.
• Certify that they have never been convicted of a felony or a second or subsequent alcohol- or drug-related misdemeanor.

Academic Requirements

Early Awards Application Deadline: April 15 of high school senior year

Students must meet one of the following academic criteria:

• By the March test, score at least 1200 on the SAT (or 27 on the ACT).
• Earn a minimum 50 cumulative GPA on the South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy (SC UGP) by the end of the junior year.
• Rank in the top 6% of their class at the end of their sophomore or junior year.

OR

• By the March test, score at least 1400 on the SAT (or 32 on the ACT).
• Earn a minimum 00 cumulative GPA on the SC UGP by the end of the junior year.

Late Awards Application Deadline: June 30 of high school senior year 

Application Process

• Only high school counselors or representatives can access application materials via the SC Guidance Counselor Listserv.
• Counselors identify eligible students and submit applications electronically through College NET. They must also send hard copies of all required documents to CHE by the specified deadlines.

Application Status

• CHE reviews applications on an ongoing basis. Students will be notified by email if they receive a conditional award. They must then submit a Designation Form to indicate the institution they will attend in the fall.

Enrollment Requirements

Students must enroll in at least 12 college-level credit hours each semester (fall and spring). A break in continuous full-time enrollment, such as taking a gap year, will result in forfeiting the scholarship. If a gap year is taken, a Reapplication Form must be submitted to CHE, and enrollment must occur by the fall semester one year after high school graduation.

Renewal Requirements

To maintain the scholarship, students must earn at least 30 college-level credit hours each academic year (including fall, spring, and summer) and maintain a 00 cumulative GPA on a 4.00 scale by the end of the academic year. 

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement

Starting sophomore year, students who complete 14 credit hours in mathematics, life sciences, physical sciences, or a combination by the end of freshman year and declare a major in science, mathematics, or a health-related field are eligible for an enhancement of $2,500 per year. The enhancement is distributed evenly between the fall and spring semesters. This enhancement is not available for students attending two-year institutions.

Summer Eligibility

Students who meet the continued eligibility criteria at the end of the spring semester may qualify to receive the scholarship for the summer semester.

Transferring the Scholarship

To transfer the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship to another eligible institution within South Carolina, students must get approval from CHE by completing the In-State Transfer Form online.

For more information and updates, visit the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education website or contact your high school counselor.