Scholarships and Financial Aid

SCHOLARSHIPS and FINANCIAL AID

Scholarship Search Websites

Fastweb.com

Need-Based Financial Aid

Need-based financial aid is determined from a federal formula and is primarily based on what a family can reasonably be expected to contribute to their child's college education. Using the family's contribution, the college will come up with a financial aid package which can be made up of grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships.

While some colleges require institutional financial aid forms, all schools will require the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA gives you access to federal loans and college work-study, and this form is used as the primary financial aid form for most colleges. This form is processed without a fee and is available on October 1st.

The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE is a supplemental aid application required by many institutions in addition to their own form and/or the FAFSA. The College Scholarship Service of the College Board administers the Profile; students must pay a registration fee as well as a processing fee for each college aid application. The Profile should be filled out early in the application cycle and in accordance with the colleges' financial aid application requirements. Both the FAFSA and the Profile can be submitted online (www.fafsa.ed.gov and http://www.collegeboard.com/).

All colleges are required to provide a Net Price Calculator on their website. This tool will allow you to discover what the estimated cost of the college might be for you and your family. For more information on Net Price Calculators, visit the U. S. Department of Educations's Net Price Calculator webiste, https://collegecost.ed.gov/netpricecenter.aspx.

Need-based Financial Aid websites:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/(FAFSA online)

https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/ (FAFSA Toolkit)

http://www.collegeboard.org/ (CSS Profile)

https://www.debt.org/students/financial-aid-process.

National Scholarship Programs

AFSA High School Scholarship Contest

Sponsored by the American Fire Sprinkler Association. To be eligible, students read an essay and complete an online form including questions about the essay. Correct responses are entered into a scholarship drawing.

Ayn Rand Essay Contests

To apply, students must submit an essay on a topic related to Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead. See website for specific topics and application instructions.

Burger King Scholarship

Eligible students are high school seniors with a GPA or at least 2.5 and are passionate about serving the community. Scholarship application window open from October 15 to December 15 each year.

Create Real Impact

Submit a creative entry (video, poem, piece of visual art, etc.) which demonstrates how to prevent distracted and reckless driving.

Cameron Impact Scholarship

Awarded by the Bryan Cameron Education Foundation, this scholarship awards full-tuition, merit based scholarships to exceptional high school students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, extracurricular activities, leadership and community service. To be eligible students must have a cumulative high school grade point average of 3.7 or higher and demonstrated excellence in a variety of extracurricular activities.

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Applicants must be 18 years of age or under as of October 1 in the year of application. Applications accepted in the categories of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, music, literature, philosophy and outside the box. See website for more details and application deadlines.

Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship Award

To be considered for scholarship, students must submit an essay in response to a prompt on efforts to reduce cyber bullying. See website for more details.

DoSomething.org Scholarships

DoSomething.org Scholarships award young people, ages 13 - 25 for the social change they do in the community. To be considered in a drawing for scholarships, students must complete a specified task and upload a photo of them completing the task. See website for specific instructions.

Foot Locker Scholar Athletes

Eligible students are scholar athletes. Scholarship deadline occurs in December of senior year.

GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program

Eligible students will have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and demonstrate attributes of leadership, drive, integrity and citizenship.

Horatio Alger Scholarship

Recognizes students with demonstrated critical financial need ($55,000 or lower adjusted gross family income) who have exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming personal adversity.

Lending Tree Scholarship

To qualify, students submit a 30 second video essay responding to a specified prompt. See website for details.

My BioSource Scholarship

Two scholarship programs: one program for high school seniors entering STEM fields of study; one program for non-STEM field majors.

Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship

Eligible students are those who have shown significant effort to provide solutions toward ending hunger in their communities. Annual application period October 5 - December 5.

Tom Joyner Foundation Full Ride Scholarship

One selected scholarship winner each year will receive full tuition and stipends for up to 10 semesters to cover on-campus room and board and books. To qualify, students must be a US citizen, have a GPA of 3.50 or higher, an SAT of 1400 or higher or an ACT of 30 or higher and must apply and be accepted to a Historically Black College or University. Check link for deadline.

Area and Local Scholarships

AFCEA Scholarship

Awarded to college-bound students entering science and engineering fields of study who demonstrate academic excellence.

Hampton Wildlife Fund Scholarships

Several scholarships offered for students who are South Carolina residents. See website for more information on the various scholarship criteria and applications.

James F. Byrnes Scholarship

For high school seniors residing in South Carolina who have one or more deceased parents.

Joye in the Community Scholarship

Awarded to South Carolina high school seniors. Application requirements include a creative entry about the dangers of drunk or distracted driving.

Kittie Moss Fairey Educational Fund Scholarship

Applicants must be South Carolina residents enrolled in a South Carolina high school, have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0, have a combined SAT score of at least a 1100 or a minimum ACT composite of 26, and be planning to attend a college or university located in South Carolina. In addition, applicant's parents must have a household adjusted gross income not exceeding $40,000.

Porter Fleming Literary Competition

Students ages 18 years of age and older residing in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee may enters a literary work in the following categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, one-act play.

South Carolina Association of Counties

Four $2,500 scholarships are awarded annually to South Carolina high school students who plan to attend a South Carolina college or university. To apply, students must include an essay as well as two letter of recommendation. For more information and to access a scholarship application, visit the program website.

South Carolina Council on the Holocaust

Open to high school seniors in the state of South Carolina. As part of the application, students must write a convincing argument about the importance and relevance of Holocaust education today.

South Carolina Federal Credit Union Scholarship

Eligible students must be a member of the SC Credit Union or be eligible for membership in the SC Credit Union.

South Carolina Jr. Golf Foundation Scholarship Program

Eligible applicants must be SC residents, seniors in high school, have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher, have a competitive or recreational interest in golf, and attend a SC public or private university.

SC State Fair, "Ride of Your Life," Scholarship

To be eligible, students must be SC residents, high school seniors and attend a college or university in the state of South Carolina. Visit website for scholarship application and deadline information.

Southern Automotive Women's Forum Scholarship

Open to female students pursuing a degree in a STEM related field enrolling in a college or university in the state of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia.

Walker Morgan Scholarship

Applicants or their direct family members must have been personally affected by an injury of some type. In addition, all applicants must be enrolled currently in high school or college and have a 2.5 GPA or higher. For more information about the application and scholarship deadline visit the Walker Morgan Scholarship website.

Public Universities

USC

https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/undergraduate_admissions/tuition_scholarships/scholarships/

USC Upstate

https://www.uscupstate.edu/admissions-and-financial-aid/financial-aid/scholarships-grants-and-loans/

USC Aiken

http://www.usca.edu/financialaid/types-of-aid/scholarships/usca.dot

Citadel

http://www.citadel.edu/root/finaid-scholarships

Clemson University

https://www.clemson.edu/financial-aid/types/scholarships/

College of Charleston