South Carolina Tuition Grant Increase Could Lead To Tuition & Fees Paid In-Full For Qualifying Limestone Students

Changes coming to the South Carolina Tuition Grant program this fall could result in tuition and fees being paid in full for qualifying students attending Limestone University’s On-Campus and Online Programs.

The South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission recently voted to make historical changes to the program that will make the path to a four-year degree more affordable.

For Limestone students from the Palmetto State, the modifications could lead to tuition and fees being paid in full for those who also qualify for the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship, the maximum Federal Pell Grant amount, and Limestone’s own institutional aid.

The purpose of the South Carolina Tuition Grant program is to provide need-based grant assistance to eligible South Carolina students obtaining an initial undergraduate degree who are attending, on a full-time basis, eligible independent non-profit in-state colleges and universities. The grant is made possible through an annual appropriation by the State General Assembly.

“The changes coming to the South Carolina Tuition Grant, joined with the LIFE Scholarship, maximum Federal Pell Grant, and Limestone’s own institutional aid, are monumental in making it possible for qualifying students to have their tuition and fees paid in full at Limestone University, whether it is transfers pursing a degree through our traditional On-Campus Program or the working adults that comprise most of our Online Program,” said Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker.

“Even for those not necessarily qualifying for the LIFE Scholarship or maximum Pell, the South Carolina Tuition Grant increase is making it even more affordable to attend Limestone,” he continued. “While now more affordable than many of the area public institutions, we also offer smaller class sizes and easier access to faculty and staff in a supportive campus community.”

Contingent upon approval as part of the South Carolina state budget, the South Carolina Tuition Grant’s maximum amount per student will increase to $4,500 for the 2022-2023 academic year – an increase of $110 per student compared to the current academic year. That represents the highest award amount in the program’s history. The award amount is subject to change and contingent on final funding approved by the General Assembly.

For qualifying commuter students transferring into Limestone’s On-Campus Program from a two-year community college or another four-year institution, the University’s tuition and fees totaling $26,300 could be paid in full using the various funding allocations.

In addition to the maximum South Carolina Tuition Grant, transfer students this fall with a minimum of 30 credit hours the previous year with a grade point average of 3.0 or better will receive $10,000 in institutional aid from Limestone. Those same students can receive up to an additional $5,000 in merit-based support through the South Carolina Legislative Incentive For Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship, if eligible. A need-based maximum Federal Pell Grant can provide up to another $6,895.

Those funding sources combined will cover the cost of Limestone tuition and fees for qualifying transfer students.

But the South Carolina Tuition Grant’s impact on affordability at Limestone doesn’t stop there.

For non-traditional programs such as online higher education, the South Carolina Tuition Grant is being increased to the new maximum amount of $4,500, instead of being pro-rated based on the tuition costs compared to the respective traditional programs as has been done in the past. For Limestone’s Online Program students, tuition and fees totaling $10,624 can also be paid in full using the numerous funding sources, including the South Carolina Tuition Grant, LIFE Scholarship, and maximum Federal Pell Grant.

Federal Pell Grants, created in 1972 and named after Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, are typically awarded to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree.

In its continued effort to make higher education affordable for students and their families, Limestone announced in November of last year its intent to freeze tuition and fees for traditional undergraduate students through the 2022-2023 academic year, marking an unprecedented three straight years of no tuition increase. The University also announced that tuition for its Online Program students will remain flat for the fourth consecutive year.