The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program, administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE), that recognizes the most academically talented high school Seniors and encourages these students to attend college in the state of South Carolina. Palmetto Fellows recipients may receive up to $6,700 their first year and up to $7,500 for subsequent years. The Palmetto Fellow scholar must complete a Palmetto Fellows Affidavit every year in order to be awarded.
See Palmetto Fellows details from CHE.
General Information
Students receiving the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship are not eligible to receive the LIFE scholarship, Lottery Tuition Assistance, or SC WINS.
Recipients of the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship must enroll full-time, at least 12 credit hours per semester, in order to receive any scholarship funds. Remedial course studies do not count toward degree requirements. In addition to this, Palmetto Fellows scholars must be first degree seeking undergraduates.
A Palmetto Fellows Scholar must complete a Designation Form notifying CHE of school selection. CHE then notifies TCL when the student has completed the Designation Form and is eligible for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.
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.
First-year Student Eligibility Requirements
Students must meet the following three academic criteria to be eligible to apply:
- Score at least 1200 on the SAT (25 on the ACT). Test scores must be submitted to CHE by no later than the established deadline in December.
- Earn a cumulative 3.50 GPA on the Uniform Grading Scale at the end of the junior year.
- Rank in the top six percent of the class at the end of either the sophomore or the junior year.
OR
- Score at least 1400 on the SAT (32 on the ACT) through the June test administration of the senior year.
- Earn a minimum 4.00 cumulative GPA on the South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale at the end of the junior year without regard to class rank.
Continuing Student Requirements
Students must meet the following requirements for their Palmetto Fellows scholarship to be renewed each year.
- Must earn a total of 30 credit hours each academic year. Any hours earned prior to high school graduation, hours exempted by examination and Advanced Placement credit do not count toward the 30-hour requirement.
- You must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on all courses taken at TCL. Courses taken at other institutions will not affect the grade point average requirement for Palmetto Fellows.
- If you do not meet the above criteria at the end of the Spring semester, your Palmetto Fellows award will be withdrawn. If you make up the deficiency during the Summer semester, please notify us and the award will be reinstated.
- Coursework taken at other institutions and accepted for credit By TCL can be used to satisfy the 30-hour requirement.
Award Amount
The Palmetto Fellows award amount is determined annually by the South Carolina General Assembly. Currently, the maximum value is $6,700.
Note: The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in combination with all other scholarships and grants may not exceed the cost of attendance as defined by Title IV regulations.
Disbursements
The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is credited to your student account to satisfy any charges. Excess aid is refunded to the student. 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 Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is typically available during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Dropping Below Full-time or Withdrawing
A student who is part-time in their final semester prior to graduation may receive a pro-rated Palmetto Fellows award. All other students who are part-time will not receive a disbursement unless approved for a reduced course load by the ADA office title.
If you are receiving the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or any other financial aid, dropping below full-time status or withdrawing completely may affect your eligibility to receive aid. Under some circumstances, withdrawing from the College may require you to repay part, or all, of any financial aid received.
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.
