State Commission on Higher Education

62-900.100. Duration of Award. A. Students are eligible to receive the SC HOPE Scholarship for no more than two terms (or its equivalent) during the freshman year of attendance only. B. The maximum number of terms of eligibility is based on the student’s initial college enrollmen…

62-900.105. Transfer Students. A. A student who transfers from an ineligible institution to an eligible institution mid-year during the freshman year of attendance is eligible to receive the SC HOPE Scholarship for the second term of their freshman year only. The student must hav…

62-900.110. Students with Disabilities. A. Students who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 must meet all eligibility requirements as defined in the ‘‘Student Eligibility’’ Section except for the full-time enro…

62-900.111. Military Mobilization. A. Service members who are enrolled in college and are affected by military mobilizations will not be penalized for the term(s) they are required to withdraw after the full refund period based on the institutional policies and procedures. Instit…

62-900.115. Refunds or Repayments. A. In the event a student who has been awarded a SC HOPE Scholarship withdraws, is suspended from the institution, or drops below full-time enrollment status during any term of the academic year, institutions must reimburse the SC HOPE Scholarsh…

62-900.120. Appeals Procedures. A. The Commission on Higher Education shall define the appeals procedures. B. Students who did not receive the maximum number of terms of eligibility for the Scholarship at the end of the first academic year due to an extenuating circumstance may r…

62-900.125. Institutional Policies and Procedures for Awarding. A. SC HOPE Scholarship awards are to be used only for payment toward the cost-of-attendance as established by Title IV regulations. The award amount shall not exceed two thousand eight hundred dollars (includes $300 …

62-900.130. Institutional Disbursements. A. The eligible institution will identify award amounts, which cannot exceed two thousand eight hundred dollars (includes $300 book allowance) for students enrolled at four-year public and independent institutions for the freshman year of …

62-900.135. Program Administration and Audits. A. The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education shall be responsible for the oversight of functions (e.g., guidelines, policies, rules, regulations) relative to this program with participating institutions. The Commission on Hig…

62-900.140. Suspension or Termination of Institutional Participation. A. The Commission may review institutional administrative practices to determine institutional compliance with pertinent statutes, guidelines, rules or regulations. If such a review determines that an instituti…

62-900.150. Purpose of the Lottery Tuition Assistance Program. Pursuant to the S.C. Education Lottery Act, which was established in 2001 and amended by Act 48 and Act 95 during the 2005 legislative session, the Commission on Higher Education shall promulgate regulation and establ…

62-900.155. Allocation of Funds. A. This program is dependent upon sufficient annual funding from the S.C. Education Lottery Account. B. Of the monies in the Education Lottery Account, funds shall be appropriated to the Commission on Higher Education for tuition assistance at two…

62-900.160. Program Definitions. A. ‘‘Academic year’’ is defined as the fall, spring, and summer terms. B. ‘‘Associate’s degree program’’ is defined as a two-year or associate’s degree program (Associate of Arts or Associate of Science), which leads to the first two years of a ba…

62-900.165. Student Eligibility. A. To be eligible for Lottery Tuition Assistance each academic year, the student must: 1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and complete the process to determine eligibility for federal student aid each academic year or com…

62-900.170. Policies and Procedures for Awarding Lottery Tuition Assistance. A. The Lottery Tuition Assistance Program will be administered by the financial aid office on each campus, and the funds will supplement the student financial aid awards. B. Actual award amounts are depe…

62-900.175. Duration of Award and Continued Eligibility. A. Award decisions will be made annually and are not automatically guaranteed. The institution shall adjust the amount of the award during the academic year in the event of a change in the student’s enrollment status. B. Ea…

62-900.180. Students with Disabilities. A. Students who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 must meet all eligibility requirements as defined in ‘‘Student Eligibility’’ Section except for a student who is appro…

62-900.181. Military Mobilization. A. Service members who are enrolled in college and are affected by military mobilizations will not be penalized for the term(s) they are required to withdraw after the full refund period based on the institutional policies and procedures. Instit…

62-900.185. Institutional Disbursement of Funds. A. Actual award amounts are dependent upon the number of eligible students and the amount of funding available each academic year. Lottery Tuition Assistance may not exceed the cost of in-state tuition at the State two-year public …

62-900.190. Refunds and Repayments. A. In the event a student who has been awarded Lottery Tuition Assistance withdraws, is expelled, is suspended from the institution, drops below part-time (six credit hours) or full-time (twelve credit hours) status, or is found to be a non SC …

62-900.195. Program Administration and Audits. A. The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education will coordinate the oversight of functions (e.g., guidelines, policies, rules, regulations) relative to this program with eligible two-year public and independent institutions in S…

62-900.200. Suspension or Termination of Institutional Participation. A. The Commission may review institutional administrative practices to determine institutional compliance with rules and regulations, pertinent statutes, and program guidelines. If such a review determines that…

62-900.85. Purpose of the SC HOPE Scholarship Program. The South Carolina HOPE Scholarship was established under the South Carolina Education Lottery Act in 2001 and amended by Act 95 during the 2005 legislative session. Act 356 authorizes the Commission on Higher Education to pr…

62-900.86. Funding. A. Funds made available for SC HOPE Scholarships under the South Carolina Education Lottery Act shall be included in the annual appropriation to the Commission on Higher Education. This program is dependent upon the annual proceeds generated by the Lottery. Th…

62-900.90. Program Definitions. A. ‘‘Academic year’’ is defined as the twelve month period during which a full-time student is expected to earn thirty credit hours. The period of time used to measure the academic year will consist of fall, spring, and summer terms or spring, summ…

62-900.95. Student Eligibility. A. To be eligible for a SC HOPE Scholarship, the student must: 1. Be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident that meets the definition of an eligible non- citizen under State residency statutes at the time of high school graduation, whose lawf…

62-901. Purpose of the Higher Education Excellence Enhancement Program. The purpose of the Higher Education Excellence Enhancement Program is to enhance the educational opportunities of low-income and educationally disadvantaged students attending four-year colleges/universities …

62-902. Applications of Eligible Institutions. Eligible Institutions are outlined in Section 2-77-15, South Carolina Code of Laws, 1976, as amended. Institutions that meet eligibility criteria shall notify the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education of their eligibility pri…

62-903. Allocation of Appropriations. Appropriations are to be allocated among eligible Institutions in accordance with Section 2-77-20(c), South Carolina Code of Laws, 1976, as amended. HISTORY: Added by State Register Volume 28, Issue No. 6, eff June 25, 2004.

62-904. Funds to Be Awarded Based on Merit. Institutions may submit proposals for the funding of activities included in Section 2-77-30(a). Proposals must be submitted prior to a deadline to be established by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Proposals shall be e…