Maskay guide

South Carolina Tuition Grant: up to $5,000, FAFSA eligibility and deadlines

The Tuition Grant depends on need, FAFSA and full-time enrollment at one of 21 participating private colleges. The 2026–27 deadline passed; next year’s date is not posted yet.

Maskay editorial team Updated

The South Carolina Tuition Grant is a state need-based grant for residents attending one of 21 participating nonprofit independent colleges full time. The 2026–27 maximum is $5,000, but an individual award may be lower: it is limited by calculated need, direct tuition and fee charges, other aid and available funding. It cannot be used at public or out-of-state colleges, or for room, board, books or summer classes.

The application that starts the process is the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov. Submit it every year and list at least one participating college so the Commission can receive your information from the federal processor. Residency requires legal domicile in South Carolina for at least 12 months before fall begins for an independent student or the parents of a dependent student. Applicants must also meet Title IV aid rules, pursue a first undergraduate degree, enroll full time—12 eligible credits per semester—and meet the college’s academic-progress requirements. Complete federal verification if selected; the college also collects the state felony, drug and alcohol affidavit each year.

Separate the deadline that has passed from the next one that is not yet known. The published FAFSA receipt deadline for the 2026–27 Tuition Grant was August 1, 2026; as of October 12, it had passed. The 2027–28 FAFSA is available, but the Tuition Grants Commission had not posted its program deadline for that cycle. Submit FAFSA early, save the confirmation, select a participating school and revisit the program page for the official date before assuming August 1 will repeat. Tentative notices typically begin in March, and the college credits funds after verifying enrollment and eligibility.

The basic calculation is cost of attendance minus Student Aid Index (COA–SAI), but the final amount also reflects income, assets, family size, institutional charges and the annual state appropriation. The grant cannot exceed either financial need or direct tuition and fee charges; aid specifically designated for tuition can reduce it. The 2024–25 report—a prior-year snapshot, not a forecast—recorded 33,736 complete applications and 12,975 grants disbursed, averaging $4,406. That scale helps explain the program, but it cannot predict your chance or amount because applications and funding change yearly.

The grant can renew for up to eight semesters if you continue to show need, meet satisfactory progress, remain full time and file FAFSA each year; missing fall enrollment generally forfeits the full year, although limited appeals may apply. For residency, transfer, school-change or incomplete-notice questions, use the appeals process and note the general December 15 deadline during the aid year. In 2023, Benedict College studio-art student Kylah Montgomery said the grant supported her first three years, helped reduce debt and allowed her to choose an HBCU aligned with her artistic goals. Her account shows one possible use, not a guaranteed amount. The Commission is at 111 Executive Center Drive, Suite 242, Columbia; call 803-896-1120 or email info@sctuitiongrants.org, and request an individual written estimate from your college.

Bottom line

Compare the options and confirm eligibility and deadlines directly with the program before applying.

Editorial selection

Options to compare

These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.

01
State need-based college grant agency

South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission

111 Executive Center Drive, Suite 242, Columbia, SC 29210

The South Carolina Tuition Grant helps cover part of tuition for state residents attending participating nonprofit independent colleges full time. It is not a high-GPA merit scholarship, and it cannot be used at public universities or out-of-state schools. The Commission lists 21 eligible institutio

Why it made the selection

Need-based state grant for legal South Carolina residents pursuing a first undergraduate degree full time (12 eligible credits per semester) at one of 21 participating nonprofit independent colleges. Annual FAFSA, demonstrated COA-minus-SAI need, academic

Hours: The application is the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov: list at least one of the 21 participating independent colleges so the Commission receives your file. The 2026–27 Tuition Grants FAFSA deadline was August 1, 2026 and has passed; the 2027–28 program deadline was not yet published as of October 12. Commission: 803-896-1120, info@sctuitiongrants.org. Verified: October 12, 2026
View Maskay profile → Official website ↗
Verification

Sources & references

Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.

  1. Official website of South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  2. Official website of South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  3. Official website of South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  4. Official website of South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  5. Official website of South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission ↗ Primary source Benedict College / SC Independent Colleges and Universities · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  6. Official website ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  7. Official website ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  8. Official website ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  9. Official website ↗ Primary source South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

  10. Official website ↗ Primary source Benedict College / SC Independent Colleges and Universities · Accessed October 12, 2026

    Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.

Keep exploring

Related questions