New awards include ‘top-off’ scholarship for graduates in top 15% of class at any
South Carolina high school
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University is expanding its commitment to academic achievement
and student leadership with new scholarships for high-achieving students and proven
student leaders from across the state.
Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, the 1896 Promise Scholarship and Bulldog
Leadership Scholarship will provide financial support and guaranteed housing in Benjamin
E. Mays Hall for qualifying South Carolina residents. The university also will introduce
an Employee Dependent Scholarship for eligible dependents and spouses of SC State
employees.
“College has to be accessible, and it has to be affordable,” SC State President Alexander
Conyers said. “We want our high-achieving students and young leaders across South
Carolina to know there is a place for them at SC State. These scholarships are about
recognizing the hard work they have already put in and making sure finances are not
what stands between them and a college education.”
1896 Promise Scholarship
The 1896 Promise Scholarship will be available to freshmen who graduated in the top
15% of their high school classes.
For qualifying students, the scholarship will provide:
A guaranteed top-off covering tuition, fees and books after all other aid and grants
have been applied.
Guaranteed housing in Benjamin E. Mays Hall, SC State’s new residence hall currently
under construction.
Renewal for a total of eight semesters for students who remain enrolled full time
and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Bulldog Leadership Scholarship
The Bulldog Leadership Scholarship will recognize students who demonstrated leadership
during high school.
The scholarship will be available to students who served as Student Government Association
or Student Council presidents at South Carolina high schools, as well as Palmetto
Boys State and Palmetto Girls State graduates.
“Developing leaders is part of who we are at SC State,” Conyers said. “For generations,
our graduates have gone on to lead in the military, education, business, industry
and community service. We want to build on that legacy by bringing more young leaders
to our campus, investing in their potential and preparing them to lead in South Carolina
and beyond.”
Qualifying students will receive:
$1,000 per semester for up to eight semesters.
Guaranteed housing in Benjamin E. Mays Hall.
Continued eligibility by maintaining satisfactory academic progress and full-time
enrollment.
Employee Dependent Scholarship
The Employee Dependent Scholarship will provide a 50% tuition discount for dependent
children or spouses of current SC State employees who have at least one year of service.
Dependents must be younger than 28.
The scholarship will be renewable for a total of eight semesters for students who
remain enrolled full time and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Academic excellence and opportunity
SC State aims to ensure scholarship recipients find the academic rigor and opportunities
to continue developing as scholars and leaders once they arrive on campus.
The university’s academic offerings include seven engineering programs, including
South Carolina’s only nuclear engineering degree program; a cybersecurity program
designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense; and agribusiness,
among other areas of study.
“These scholarships will bring talented scholars and proven leaders to a university
where they will be challenged to reach even higher,” said Dr. Louis Whitesides, interim
provost and vice president for academic affairs. “SC State offers excellent academic
programs that will challenge these students, build on the strengths they already possess
and prepare them to excel in their professions and as leaders in their communities.”
