General Information
SC•WINS is a statewide technical college scholarship program designed to address workforce shortages in South Carolina. The scholarship supplements Lottery Tuition Assistance to help cover any tuition and mandatory fees left after applying all other scholarships or grants. Students may receive up to a maximum award amount of $5,000 per academic year for no more than three years if student is enrolled in an associate’s degree program, or no more than two years if enrolled in an IRC, diploma, or professional certificate program.
General Eligibility Requirements
- Be a South Carolina resident.
- Be enrolled in a career education program that meets the eligibility guidelines as determined by the State Board of Technical and Comprehensive Education.
- Meet one of the following criteria:
- Be employed
- Take a financial literacy course offered via CashCourse
- Complete one hundred hours of voluntary time contributing to a nonprofit or public service organization approved by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education
- Complete the SC WINS Affidavit
- Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA
Eligible Programs
The South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SCWINS) shall be limited to South Carolina residents enrolled in critical workforce programs that lead to an industry-recognized credential (IRC), certificate, diploma, or degree in the following areas:
- Healthcare
- Computer Technology and Information Technology
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Hospitality/Tourism Management
- Construction
- Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
- Criminal Justice and Corrections
- Early Care and Education
- Human Services
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Business Management and Administration
Priority programs include the following critical workforce programs:
- Commercial Truck Driving (non-credit program)
- CompTIA (non-credit program)
- Cybersecurity
- Diesel Technician (non-credit program)
- Electric Vehicle Technology (non-credit program)
- Emergency Medical Technician (non-credit program)
- Heavy Equipment Operator (non-credit program)
- HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning)
- Lineman Technician (non-credit program)
- Manufacturing Technician (non-credit program)
- Mechatronics (non-credit program)
- Nursing
- Nursing Assistant (non-credit program)
- Patient Care Technician (non-credit program)
- Phlebotomy (non-credit program)
- Plumbing
- Welding (non-credit program)
Award Amount
SC WINS covers tuition, mandatory fees, and qualifying course-related materials after applying all other scholarships and grants for South Carolina residents enrolled in a qualified program. Award amounts cannot exceed $5,000 per year and may be adjusted or canceled due to changes in enrollment or the availability of funds. A student enrolled in a qualified associate degree program may only receive the scholarship for three years. Students enrolled in a qualified diploma or certificate program may only receive the scholarship for two years.
Qualifying students are awarded $2,500 Fall and Spring (awards can be adjusted to cover cost of tuition and mandatory fees up to $5,000). Any leftover funds are awarded for hours enrolled during the Summer semester.
SC WINS is a last dollar in scholarship and may only be applied after all other eligible federal and state aid has been awarded.
Additionally, SC WINS is available to high school students who are taking classes at TCL as part of the college’s Dual Enrollment program, meet the general eligibility criteria, and are enrolled in a SC WINS eligible program.
Changing Academic Majors
Changing academic majors is allowed within the acceptable disciplines in workforce program areas. Before changing academic majors, students should contact the Office of Financial Aid (financialaid@tcl.edu) to determine how their aid may be affected.
