The LIFE Scholarship is valued at $5,000 per year. To receive the LIFE Scholarship, students must meet specific academic requirements. There is no application process for the LIFE Scholarship. Students will automatically be reviewed and awarded the scholarship by TCL. In order for funds to be disbursed, students must complete the LIFE Scholarship Affidavit. The form is available in the Self-Service Financial Aid portal for students who have been awarded.
General Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen under state residency statutes.
- South Carolina resident at the time of high school graduation and during the period of the award.
- Graduated from a South Carolina high school or was a dependent of a parent or guardian who was a legal resident of South Carolina at the time of the student’s high school graduation.
- Full-time undergraduate seeing a first degree
- Must not have been judged delinquent nor have been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any felony in any state.
- Must not have been convicted of any second alcohol– or drug-related misdemeanor in any state for 12 months prior to the period of award.
- Must not be in default or owe a refund or repayment on any federal or state financial aid.
Note: Students do not have to enroll in college full time immediately after graduating from high school to be eligible for the LIFE Scholarship. If the high school criteria were met at the time of graduation and the student has not attended college parttime before starting full-time college enrollment, they are eligible to receive the LIFE Scholarship and begin college later.
First-year Student Eligibility Requirements
- Must meet all general eligibility requirements.
- Must meet two of the three requirements listed below:
- A 3.0 final high school grade point average based on the Uniform Grading Scale
- A minimum SAT score of 1100 (or 22 on the ACT).
- Graduated in the top 30 percent of your high school class.
Transfer Student Requirements
- Must meet all general eligibility requirements.
- Eligibility for the first year at TCL is based on your initial college enrollment and the cumulative GPA and hours earned (nonremedial) at your previous institution(s). This will include both in-state and out-of-state institutions.
- After your first year at TCL, all the requirements for continuing students will apply.
Continuing Student Requirements
Renewal Eligibility Requirements
- Must meet all general eligibility requirements.
- Earn an average of 30 credit hours per academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer).
- A total of 30 hours is required for a rising second-year student.
- Any credit earned before high school graduation, hours exempted by examination and Advanced Placement credit approved by TCL will be used toward the credit hour requirement. Duplicate credit courses do not count in the total.
- Earn a minimum cumulative LIFE GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale by the end of the academic year. The LIFE GPA must include all grades earned at TCL plus all grades attempted (excluding remedial) at all other institutions, both in-state and out-of-state.
The LIFE GPA is used for determining eligibility for the LIFE Scholarship only. It is distinctively different from your cumulative TCL GPA that is used for graduation purposes and the awarding of other merit-based scholarships.
Terms
You may receive the LIFE Scholarship through the eighth consecutive semester following initial college enrollment. The eight semester limit is a time limit only. The limit is not determined by the number of semesters the LIFE Scholarship has actually been received and may include periods of nonenrolment.
Timeline
Once a student begins college (assuming they have met the initial criteria to be awarded the scholarship), they have up to eight semesters of potential eligibility.
Award Amount
The LIFE Scholarship award amount is determined annually by the South Carolina General Assembly.
Currently, the maximum valued is $5,000 per academic year ($4,700 related to tuition plus $300 based on the costs of textbooks).
Note: The LIFE Scholarship in combination with all other scholarships and grants may not exceed the cost of attendance as defined by Title IV regulations.
Disbursements
The LIFE Scholarship is credited to your student account to satisfy any charges. If all tuition and fees are satisfied and you are enrolled full-time, excess aid is refunded to the student and can be used for any college-related expenses, including housing.
The LIFE Scholarship is typically available during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Dropping Below Full-Time or Withdrawing
If you are receiving the LIFE Scholarship or any other financial aid, dropping below full-time status or withdrawing completely may affect your eligibility to receive aid. If you are considering dropping a class (and will be enrolled in less than 12 credit hours as a result) or considering withdrawing from the College, you should contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@tcl.edu to determine the effect on your financial obligations.
LIFE GPA
The LIFE GPA is a GPA used only for the purpose of LIFE Scholarship awards. It represents an all-college GPA, consisting of the combined total of a student’s Grade (Quality) Points divided by the cumulative number of attempted credit hours from all schools attended to earn college credits, even while still enrolled in high school. The GPA must be 3.0 or higher.
Note: The law requires that a student receiving the LIFE Scholarship sign an affidavit confirming that they have sent all transcripts to TCL representing an accurate LIFE GPA. This would include ALL transcripts, even those from a school that a student attended while still in high school and college coursework that a student didn’t successfully transfer because of low grades.
Summer Transient Courses
Summer transient courses (nonremedial) taken at any institution (in-state or out-of-state) may be used toward the credit hours requirement. Any courses taken at TCL or any other LIFE-eligible institution in-state or out-of-state will affect your LIFE GPA. Please note that your LIFE GPA cannot be recalculated until official transcripts have been received and processed by the Registrar’s Office.
This information is subject to change by either the South Carolina General Assembly or the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. You may view the most recent guidelines for the LIFE program at South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.
