South Carolina Need-based Grant: Odds & Deadline

The South Carolina Need-based Grant is the state's grant for residents with the greatest financial need who attend an eligible public college or university in South Carolina, including the technical colleges. It pays up to $3,500 a year for full-time students and up to $1,750 a year for part-time degree-seeking students, and it can be used in fall, spring or summer. The only application is the FAFSA. Each campus financial aid office decides who receives the grant and how much, after other gift aid and scholarships are applied, so the amount depends on the college and on the student's need. It can be combined with LIFE, HOPE or Palmetto Fellows money, up to the cost of attendance, and renews for up to eight full-time terms while the student stays eligible. Students must be pursuing a first certificate, associate or bachelor's degree. Because colleges award it from a fixed pool, filing the FAFSA early matters.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the South Carolina Need-based Grant to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

Odds: not published by the provider
Paperwork: ~1 hr to file

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to South Carolina residents
Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the South Carolina Need-based Grant?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of South Carolina
Must attend a college in South Carolina (the award does not travel out of state)
Open to high school seniors

Confirm these before applying

Only at eligible South Carolina public colleges and universities

Good to know

Need is judged by the college from the FAFSA; amount set by the campus aid office

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open October 1 (FAFSA opens). File the FAFSA early; each public college's aid office awards the grant from its allocation.

2027-28 FAFSA opens (already open for the class of 2027): October 1, 2026
College's FAFSA priority date: June 30, 2027 (estimated)

Track the next deadline Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the South Carolina Need-based Grant

How much is the South Carolina Need-based Grant worth?

The South Carolina Need-based Grant awards up to $3,500 per year full time ($1,750 part time) and is renewable in later years.

When is the South Carolina Need-based Grant deadline?

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open October 1 (FAFSA opens). File the FAFSA early; each public college's aid office awards the grant from its allocation.

When do South Carolina Need-based Grant applications open?

Applications open October 1 (FAFSA opens), and close June 30, 2027 (estimated). File the FAFSA early; each public college's aid office awards the grant from its allocation.

Who is eligible for the South Carolina Need-based Grant?

Key requirements: Must be a resident of South Carolina; Must attend a college in South Carolina (the award does not travel out of state); Open to high school seniors.

Does the South Carolina Need-based Grant require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 1 hour on it.

How hard is it to win the South Carolina Need-based Grant?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: open only to South Carolina residents and open to a single grade level only. Plan on about 1 hr of work.

Is the South Carolina Need-based Grant free to apply?

Yes. The South Carolina Need-based Grant is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

South Carolina Need-based Grant