South Carolina Workforce Scholarships for the Future

Students do not have to apply for SC Workforce Scholarships for the Future. For students enrolled in a qualified program, the scholarship will automatically be applied after applying all other scholarships or grants.

PROPOSAL BENEFITS

• Produces a highly skilled workforce for South Carolina business and industry.
• Reduces the cost of higher education in the Palmetto State.
• Lowers student loan debt for South Carolinians.
• Increases the percentage of citizens with a certificate, diploma or degree to include recent high school graduates and adults.
• Allows for tuition assistance in non-credit credential programs such as commercial truck driving and forklift operation.
• Increases accessibility to higher education in the state by having a campus available within 30 minutes.
  

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Workforce Scholarships for the Future will cover tuition and required fees at the state’s sixteen technical colleges for South Carolina residents enrolled in a high-demand field such as manufacturing, healthcare, computer science and information technology, transportation, distribution and logistics or construction. The scholarship will cover any tuition and required fees after applying all other scholarships or grants. It will be implemented in two phases:

Phase One: Pilot Program
Who: All South Carolina citizens (adults and recent high school graduates) enrolled in a qualified program.

What: $17M provided from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief monies to cover tuition and required fees at any one of South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges starting January 2022 until funds are exhausted. The scholarship will cover any tuition and required fees after applying all other scholarships or grants.

Phase Two: Comprehensive Program to Make Scholarship Permanent
Who: All South Carolina citizens (adults and recent high school graduates) enrolled in a qualified program.

What: Requesting that the General Assembly allocate $124M in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to cover tuition and required fees at any of the state’s 16 technical colleges for all South Carolinians from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024.

Student Responsibility
Credit-seeking students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete a FAFSA.

All participating students must complete one of the following requirements: 1) be employed, 2) take a financial literacy course offered at the technical college or 3) complete 100 hours of voluntary timecontributing to a nonprofit or public service organization.

Download the SC Workforce Scholarships for the Future Overview (pdf)