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Awardees Information

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Award Letter Example                                                                                  Back to Top

South Carolina

Higher Education

Tuition Grants Commission

800 Dutch Square Boulevard, Suite 260A       Columbia, SC  29210-7317              Phone: (803) 896-1120        Fax: (803) 896-1126

TENTATIVE Award Letter - 2011-2012

                                                                                                                                COLLEGE:

                                                                                                 TENTATIVE SC TUITION GRANT:

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY EACH SECTION OF THIS LETTER

The Commission highly recommends that you save this award letter and all other financial aid correspondence for your records. 

DEAR STUDENT:

 On your 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you listed a South Carolina independent college among your college choices.  As a result of your application, you are tentatively awarded a SC Tuition Grant for the 2011-2012 academic year.  If you meet ALL eligibility requirements, and if you enroll full-time (minimum of 12 semester hours) during the Fall Term in an approved program at the SC independent college listed above, you will receive a SC Tuition Grant for the 2011-2012 academic year.  All SC Tuition Grants awards are contingent on funding of the program by the General Assembly; therefore, any change in program funding could necessitate a change in your award.  In addition, tentative award amounts are calculated based on prior years’ enrollment patterns and the total number of eligible students; therefore, any substantial changes in student enrollment may also require a change in your award amount.  Because your tentative eligibility for this award is communicated in writing to the college listed on this letter, you are not required to submit this letter to your college in order to receive a SC Tuition Grant.

PROGRAM FUNDED ANNUALLY BY SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The SC Tuition Grants Program is supported by the South Carolina General Assembly, on a non-partisan basis, through annual state appropriations.  You and your family may wish to write letters thanking the members of your local legislative delegation for their support of this program.  In addition, some South Carolina Tuition Grants, depending on total family income reported on the FAFSA, are paid in part with funds provided by the Federal Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) program.  For students who receive a part of their SC Tuition Grants from these federal funds, the balance of their SC Tuition Grant award is funded by the State of South Carolina.  SC Tuition Grants for students who do not qualify for partial federal funding are fully funded by the State of South Carolina.

ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible as a first-time freshman, you must graduate in the top 75% of your high school graduating class OR score at least 900 on the SAT Test (Math & Critical Reading Sections Only) OR 19 Composite on the ACT Test OR graduate from high school with a GPA of at least 2.000 on the SC Uniform Grading Policy.  If you have previously attended college, to be eligible you must have passed 24 credit hours during your last year of full-time enrollment.  If you did not enroll full-time during your most recent college enrollment, your credit hours requirement will be adjusted according to SC Tuition Grants Program policies.  Your award is contingent upon your satisfying the Program's academic requirements.  If, after you receive this award letter, the Commission is notified by your college that you do not meet these criteria, your eligibility will be terminated and this award will be canceled immediately.  Your Financial Aid Office can answer any questions about academic eligibility.

HOW THE AMOUNT OF YOUR SC TUITION GRANT AWARD IS DETERMINED

Your college and the tentative amount of your 2011-2012 SC Tuition Grant are indicated above.  The amount of your SC Tuition Grant is determined by criteria such as income, assets, family size, number of family members attending college, the cost of attendance at your college, and the amount of money appropriated for the program. 

If you are enrolled in a Non-Traditional or Evening Program, the amount of the SC Tuition Grant indicated above might change.  In addition, your grant may be reduced or canceled if you receive funds from other sources that are used to specifically pay your tuition (i.e. employee tuition assistance, Veterans educational benefits, ROTC tuition scholarships).  You may receive a SC Tuition Grant for up to, but not exceeding, four years provided you remain eligible.  You must reapply annually by the June 30 deadline.  No preference is given to renewal applicants.  You (or your parents, if you filed the FAFSA as a “dependent” student) must have been domiciled in South Carolina and must have been permanent legal resident(s) of South Carolina for at least twelve continuous months immediately preceding the date classes begin for the Fall term.  Your college will verify this.  To receive a SC Tuition Grant, you must be an undergraduate student who has not yet received a bachelor’s degree.

VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

If you are selected for Verification, you are required to submit income tax returns and other pertinent information to your college Financial Aid Office to verify the accuracy of the financial information on your application.  Failure to have your Verification completed by your college and communicated to the Commission by November 15^th of this year will make you ineligible for a SC Tuition Grant.  Selection notification will come from the federal processor and/or your college Financial Aid Office.  Please respond promptly to any directions given concerning Verification.  Please note that this award may be canceled or adjusted by the SC Tuition Grants Commission if any corrections are made to the information you supplied on your application.

REQUIRED AFFIDAVIT

To be eligible to receive a SC Tuition Grant, you cannot have ever been convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled no contest to a felony.  Additionally, you cannot have been convicted of, pled guilty to or pled no contest to a second or subsequent drug or alcohol related offense during the twelve-month period prior to the first day of classes for the  Fall Semester.  You are not eligible for a Tuition Grant until you sign an affidavit (required annually) that you meet this requirement.  You should obtain a copy of an affidavit from your college’s financial aid office and submit it as soon as possible, but not later than November 15^th of this year, to your college’s financial aid office.

DISBURSEMENT OF YOUR SC TUITION GRANT FUNDS

After your college has reported to the SC Tuition Grants Commission that you have enrolled as a full-time student for the Fall Semester, the Commission will forward the first semester portion of your SC Tuition Grant to your college to be credited toward your tuition charges.  By state law, SC Tuition Grant monies may only be used toward payment of your tuition and required fees at a South Carolina independent college.  Your acceptance of this SC Tuition Grant is indicated by your full-time enrollment (minimum of 12 semester hours) at the SC independent college indicated on this letter.  Your full-time enrollment is also an indication that the choice to use the SC Tuition Grant funds to attend and pay tuition at the selected South Carolina independent college was made entirely by you, the student, and not by the State of South Carolina.  The payment of funds to your chosen institution is a result of your decision to attend that specific college.  Awards are made for the full academic year.  By failing to enroll full-time during the Fall Semester, you will forfeit your SC Tuition Grant for the full year.  If you withdraw from college, a refund must be made to the Commission according to the college’s refund policy.

 TRANSFERRING YOUR SC TUITION GRANT AWARD TO ANOTHER SC INDEPENDENT COLLEGE

If you wish to transfer your SC Tuition Grant to another eligible South Carolina independent (private) college, you must notify the SC Tuition Grants Commission in writing.  A change in college from the one listed on this award letter may affect the amount of your SC Tuition Grant.

APPEALS OF INELIGIBILITY

If it is determined that you are not eligible for a SC Tuition Grant, you may appeal this determination in writing to the SC Tuition Grants Commission.  Extenuating circumstances, beyond the student’s control, must exist for an appeal to be considered by the Commission's Appeals Committee.  Regardless of the reason for appeal, the SC Tuition Grants Commission has established an absolute deadline of November 15th for the receipt of all complete appeals.  An appeal is not considered “complete” until all documentation necessary to consider the appeal is received by the Commission.  The Commission's Appeals Committee is the final authority on all decisions concerning written appeals.  Please contact the Commission or your financial aid officer if you have any questions about appeals.

Felony, Drug, or Alcohol Affidavit    (Get pdf Format)                Back to Top

South Carolina

Higher Education

Tuition Grants Commission

           Phone: (803) 896-1120        

SC Tuition Grants Program – 2011-2012 Eligibility Affidavit

The SC Code of Law governing the South Carolina Tuition Grants Program (Title 59, Chapter 113) includes a paragraph under Section 159-113-20 that reads that an applicant must meet the following qualification to receive a grant:

"has not been adjudicated delinquent or been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendre to any felonies or any second or subsequent alcohol or drug-related offenses under the laws of this or any other state or under the laws of the United States in order to be eligible for a South Carolina tuition grant, except that a high school or college student otherwise qualified who has been adjudicated delinquent or has been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendre to a second or subsequent alcohol or drug-related misdemeanor offense nevertheless shall be eligible or continue to be eligible for such grants after the expiration of one academic year from the date of the adjudication, conviction, or plea."

All students must sign this affidavit and submit it to their college financial aid office before being considered eligible for a SC Tuition Grant and no later than November 15^th.  The required affidavit must be maintained in each student’s college financial aid file for review by appropriate state officials and/or independent auditors.  Students who cannot sign this affidavit due to their failure to meet this requirement are ineligible for a SC Tuition Grant per the statute.

I, ___________________________________________ (Student’s Printed Name), certify that I have never been adjudicated delinquent or been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendre to any felonies and have not been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendre to any second or subsequent alcohol or drug related misdemeanor offenses under the laws of this or any other state or under the laws of the United States since one year prior to the first day of classes for the Fall 2011 Semester.  If my status changes after signing this affidavit and before the first day of classes for the Fall 2011 Semester, I understand and agree that I must and will immediately report my adjudication, conviction, or plea to my college financial aid office and that I will lose eligibility for a 2011-2012 SC Tuition Grant.

_________________________________    ______________________

Signed                                                           Date

_________________________________          ______________________________

Student’s Social Security Number                 Name of Student's College

Appeal Form   (Get pdf Format)                 Back to Top

South Carolina

Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission

800 Dutch Square Boulevard, Suite 260A

Columbia, SC   29210-7317

Phone:   (803) 896-1120,  FAX:     (803) 896-1126

REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF SC TUITION GRANT ELIGIBILITY

STUDENT’S NAME: ___________________________________________________________________

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:    XXX-XX-______________    DATE: ____________

ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________________

                    Street                                                                  City                             State       Zip Code

PHONE NUMBER:  (__________)________________________________________________________

COLLEGE: __________________________________________________   ACADEMIC YEAR: ______

PLEASE PROVIDE A LETTER AND ANY OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION DESCRIBING THE BASIS FOR YOUR REQUEST.

The Commission can better review your situation and make a quicker decision concerning your request if you submit clear explanations and reasonable documentation.  Your request should include the following essential components:

1.         A clearly written letter explaining the situation with sufficient information for the review committee to make a decision.  The letter MUST be signed by the student and the student’s parent(s), if the situation involves them, or the spouse, if the student is married.

2.         Provide dates concerning the situation including, if applicable, a date for an expected end of the situation.

3.         If your request for a review involves a change in income, assets, family size, or number of family members attending college, you must first approach your college’s financial aid office concerning a “Professional Judgement Review.”  If your request is approved by your college’s financial aid office, your financial aid administrator should provide all relevant information directly to the Commission.

 PLEASE ALLOW 2 TO 4 WEEKS TO COMPLETE PROCESSING OF YOUR REQUEST.

Transfer Form    (Get pdf Format)               Back to Top

South Carolina

Higher Education

Tuition Grants Commission

800 Dutch Square Boulevard, Suite 260A; Columbia, SC 29210-7317          Phone: (803) 896-1120         Fax: (803) 896-1126

                    Grant Transfer/Withdrawal/Change Form

Student’s Name: _______________________________________________________

Student’s SS#: XXX-XX-_____________________

Check each of the following changes that apply:

______Please transfer my SC Tuition Grant for the ___________________Award Year:

             _______Beginning with Fall Semester

_______Beginning with Spring Semester

              Please indicate below if you will be enrolled in a Non-Traditional Program

From  _____________________________________________College/University

To ________________________________________________College/University.

** I understand that transferring my SC Tuition Grant may change the amount of my award.**

______Please withdraw my SC Tuition Grant Application for the ___________Award Year.

I will not be attending ___________________________________College/University.

______Please correct my housing status.  I will be (circle one):

Boarding        Commuting (Living with Parents)   Off-Campus (NOT with Parents)

Non-Traditional Program at________________________________College/University.

Please change my permanent home address:

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Student’s Signature:____________________________________  Date:__________________

Mail signed form to:              S.C. Tuition Grants Commission

                                                800 Dutch Square Boulevard, Suite 260A

                                                Columbia, SC 29210-7317

                                                Telephone: (803) 896-1120    Fax: (803) 896-1126

******************************************************************************

SCHETGC use only:

                                                            __________________                        __________                                                                                                        Computer Updated By                       Date

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                2/2005

Maximum Grants 2011-2012                                                              Back to Top