State Aid

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STATE PROGRAMS:

All state programs require students to:

  • Meet state residency requirements as outlined in SC statue 59-112
  • Be enrolled in a diploma, certificate or associate degree program
  • Certify that he or she has not been convicted of any felonies, has not been convicted of any alcohol or drug related misdemeanor offenses within the past academic year, and is of good moral character.
  • Certify that he or she does not owe a refund or repayment on any State or Federal Grant and is not in default on a student loan.
SC Lottery Tuition Assistance Program (LTA)

The SC Lottery Tuition Assistance Program was established in 2001 under the SC Educational Lottery Act and implemented for the first time during 2002-03 academic year. It was created to provide a supplemental resource to South Carolina residents attending two-year public or independent institutions.

LTA is available to S.C. residents who meet the required eligibility criteria (explained below).

For 2024-2025, full- and part-time students are eligible for $75 per credit hour (with a six-credit-hour minimum and a maximum of 15 credit hours per semester).

  • LTA is not available to assist with book expenses.
  • Students whose tuition is fully covered under another grant are not eligible for LTA.

SC Lottery Tuition Assistance Program (LTA) Criteria

Students still in High School or students with a bachelor’s degree:

  • Complete the Lottery Certification Form
  • Be enrolled and maintain six credit hours each semester in a certificate, degree or diploma program.

All other students:

  • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Be enrolled and maintain six credit hours each semester in a certificate, degree or diploma program.
  • Students cannot receive the LIFE, HOPE, or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in addition to lottery funded tuition assistance.
  • Federal and state grants will be applied against tuition before LTA can be applied.

As a returning student, the additional eligibility requirements are:

  • After attempting 24 credit hours, required GPA is at least a 2.0
  • Only one certificate, diploma or degree within a five year period can be funded through LTA unless the additional program constitutes progress in the same field of study.
  • Maintain satisfactory progress toward the completion of the program of study
Life Scholarship

What is the LIFE Scholarship?

The Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship program administered by the financial aid office at each eligible public and independent institution in South Carolina. The LIFE Scholarship may be used towards the cost of attendance for two semesters for one-year certificate or diploma programs, and four terms for a two-year program here at PTC based on the students’ initial college enrollment date. Students must be enrolled in their first one-year program, first associate degree, first two-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree, first baccalaureate degree, or first professional degree.

General Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Graduate from high school or complete a home school program as prescribed by law; 
  • Attend an eligible South Carolina public or private college or university; 
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) at the time of high school graduation and be a legal resident of South Carolina as defined in applicable State statutes governing the determination of residency for tuition and fee purposes at the time of high school graduation; 
  • Be enrolled as a full-time degree-seeking student; 
  • Certify that he or she has never been convicted of any felonies and has not been convicted of any second of subsequent alcohol or other drug-related misdemeanor convictions within the past academic year; 
  • Verify that he or she is not in default and does not owe a refund or repayment on any Federal or State financial aid; 
  • Must not be a SC HOPE Scholarship, Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or Lottery Tuition Assistance recipient. 
  • For a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, students must attend an eligible four-year South Carolina public or private college or university.

Initial Eligibility Requirements for a LIFE Scholarship at Piedmont Technical College:

First-time entering freshmen attending Piedmont Technical College must earn a cumulative 3.0 GPA based on the UGP as described below. The standardized test score and class rank requirements are waived for freshmen attending an eligible two-year or technical institution (PTC).

  • Earn a cumulative 3.0 grade point average (GPA) based on the SC Uniform Grading Scale upon high school graduation 
    •  a. The grade point average must be reported to two decimal places (minimum) and cannot be rounded. The GPA must be calculated after official completion of courses required for graduation.

EARLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

“Students who complete their high school graduation requirements prior to the official graduation date reported on the final high school transcript may be eligible to receive the LIFE Scholarship dependent on the approval of the eligible institution. The student must complete and submit an Early Graduation Application, an official high school transcript, an official letter from the high school principal verifying that he/she has met all graduation requirements, and SAT/ACT scores (if attending a four-year institution) by the established deadline. Early graduates cannot use class rank to qualify for the LIFE Scholarship at four-year institutions. Early graduates who enroll mid-year (spring term) and are awarded the LIFE Scholarship through the Early Graduation process will officially begin their initial college enrollment. To receive the LIFE Scholarship, the next academic year, the student must earn a minimum of fifteen credit hours and a 3.0 “LIFE GPA” at the end of the academic year. The student will be eligible to receive the maximum number of terms of eligibility based on initial college enrollment. If a student does not submit an early graduation application for the spring term and has not officially graduated, the student should not have received the LIFE Scholarship and that term will not count against his/her terms of Scholarship eligibility.”

GED Recipients must:

  • Earn at least 15 credit hours for every semester elapsed since the initial enrollment in a postsecondary institution whether enrollment was continuous (students who begin mid-year may receive the award no earlier than their fourth term of enrollment), and 
  • Earning a minimum cumulative collegiate GPA of 3.0, and 
  • Submit a copy of an official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended.

In Order to be Reviewed for the Scholarship, please make sure that you have completed the following:

  • Ensure that the Enrollment Center has a copy of your high school transcript. If you are a not a recent high school graduate, further information may be required.
  • Complete a PTC Life Certification Form.
  • Enroll in at least 12 credit hours for the fall and spring terms of non-remedial courses; however, to retain the scholarship, 30 credit hours must be earned within the academic year (fall – summer).  Remedial courses are RDG, ENG or MAT 010-099.  These are not counted toward the 30-credit hour requirement
  • All 100 level courses count in the eligible hours to receive the LIFE scholarship if students are seeking a certificate or a diploma in the first year of college; however, the hours earned in 100 level courses are not counted toward the 30 credit hour requirement to retain the scholarship for the following year.
  • Students have 2 terms of eligibility for a diploma or certificate program and 4 terms of eligibility in an associate degree program. Terms of eligibility begin with the students’ first term of enrollment at any college.

**All college credits and GPAs earned at South Carolina colleges/universities will be counted towards LIFE eligibility. **

Students can progress from a certificate or diploma into an associate degree but must be in the associate degree program by the 2nd year of eligibility.

To Retain the LIFE Scholarship for a 2nd or 3rd year, students must:

Earn a cumulative 3.0 LIFE GPA based on grades earned at all eligible institutions attended excluding remedial, continuing education, and non-degree credit courses by the end of the academic year (fall, spring, summer); and meet one of the following: 

  • Earn 30 credit hours* if entering the second year of college based on initial enrollment or; 
  • Earn 15 credit hours* if entering the second year of college based on initial enrollment and was a Spring start or;
  • Earn 60 credit hours if entering the third year of college based on initial enrollment; and be enrolled in an eligible program. 

* Credit hours include any college credits earned during an academic year, as well as any AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, CLEP, and exempted credit hours.

Programs that are currently eligible for six terms (3 years) of LIFE are:

  • BCT3 - Building Construction Tech
  • EET3 - Electronic Engineering Tech
  • MET3 - Mechanical Engineering Tech
  • OTA3 Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • RAD3 - Radiologic Tech
  • RES3 - Respiratory Care
  • VET3 – Veterinary Tech

Summer Eligibility: 

If a student has met the requirements for renewal at the end of the Spring term, the student would be allowed to receive LIFE Scholarship for the Summer term if they are enrolled in 12 LIFE eligible credit hours. If a student receives LIFE in the summer, they would then have just one remaining term (the very next Fall) left of eligibility at PTC.

LIFE Scholarship eligibility will be automatically calculated to include grades earned at all public or independent institutions for all students. It will be the student’s responsibility to submit transcripts from all institutions attended to determine eligibility for the LIFE scholarship. Institutions will verify this information.

  • Students can receive the LIFE Scholarship in addition to Federal PELL; therefore, all students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Once a student receives the LIFE Scholarship, the student cannot receive LTA within the same academic year (fall-summer).
  • Currently the LIFE Scholarship award is $4,700 for Fall/Spring and $2350 for Spring only towards tuition and a $300 book credit for Fall/Spring and $150 for Spring only.
  • The LIFE Scholarship is credited to the student account to satisfy any charges.  Excess aid is refunded to the student.
SC Need-Based Grant Program

The purpose of the SC Need-Based Grant is to provide additional financial aid to South Carolina’s neediest students.  The financial aid office on each public college campus administers the Need-based Grant Program.  A student may receive up to $2,500 annually if enrolled full time and up to $1,250 annually if enrolled part time at Piedmont Technical College.  The grant must be applied directly towards the cost-of-attendance at the college for a maximum of eight full-time equivalent terms. Students must be enrolled in their first one-year program, first associate degree, first two-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree, first baccalaureate degree, or first professional degree.  See specific eligibility criteria below.

SC Need-Based Grant Criteria:

  • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Complete a PTC SC Need Based/Federal Program Certification Form.
  • Be a South Carolina resident for a minimum of one year if an independent student.  If a dependent student, parents must have resided in South Carolina for a year.
  • Have financial need as determined by the FAFSA
  • Be enrolled and maintain six credit hours fall and spring semester in a certificate, degree or diploma program.

As a returning student:

  • As a returning student, must have successfully completed prior year enrollment
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0
  • Cannot have previously received a certificate, diploma, associate or baccalaureate degree.
  • Cannot receive this grant for more than 8 semesters.

Graduate from a SC High School with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Student can be a graduate of an approved home school program or a graduate of a preparatory school outside this State if a dependent of a parent or guardian who is a legal SC resident who has custody of the dependent.

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program established in 1988 and is administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.  Half of the Scholarship is awarded in the fall term and half in the spring. The Scholarship must be applied directly toward the cost of attendance, less any other gift aid received. 

REQUIREMENTS

General Eligibility Requirements:

  • US Citizen/Legal Permanent Resident at the time of high school graduation
  • SC Resident at the time of graduation
  • No felony convictions
  • No second or subsequent alcohol/drug misdemeanors
  • Not in default of any state or federal loans
  • Enroll in a degree-seeking program at an eligible SC institution
  • Cannot be a recipient of the LIFE Scholarship, SC HOPE Scholarship or Lottery Tuition Assistance in the same academic year

Academic Eligibility Requirements
Students are eligible to apply if they meet one of the following sets of academic requirements:

1. Score at least 1200 on the SAT (27 on the ACT)1 by the March national test administration, earn a minimum 3.50 cumulative GPA2 on the SC Uniform Grading Policy (SC UGP) at the end of the junior year, and rank in the top 6% of the class at the end of either the sophomore or the junior year;

OR

2. Score at least 1400 on the SAT (32 on the ACT)1 by the March national test administration and earn a minimum 4.00 cumulative GPA2 on the SC UGP at the end of the junior year.

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Amounts:

  • First year: $6,700
  • Years 2, 3, and 4: $7,500/year

Maintaining Eligibility
Once a student has been awarded a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, they must do the following to maintain their Scholarship each academic year: 

  • Earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at the student’s home institution by the end of each academic year (fall, spring and summer); and
  • Earn at least 30 nonremedial credit hours for graduation purposes by the end of each academic year. Exempted credit hours (i.e., AP, IB, CLEP), credit hours earned before high school graduation (i.e., dual enrollment courses) and credit hours earned the summer term immediately following high school graduation cannot be used to meet the annual credit hours requirement. No waiver for 1st year.

HOW TO APPLY

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship requires an application to be completed on behalf of the student. The application must be completed by the high school counselor/school representative. The school counselor/school representative is responsible for identifying each eligible applicant.

There are two periods when an eligible applicant can be a part of an application period. The Early Award opens May of a student’s junior (3rd) year and closes April 15th of a student’s senior year. The Late Award opens mid-May of a student’s senior year and closes June 30th.

Should the deadline fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the deadline is the preceding Friday. All application materials must be at the office of the SC Commission on Higher Education office by 5:00 p.m.