South Carolina Free Tuition for Certain War Veterans' Children

South Carolina waives tuition at every state-supported college, university and technical college for children of certain wartime veterans. The veteran must have served honorably during a federally defined war period and have been killed in action, died in service or from a service-connected cause, been a prisoner of war or missing in action, be permanently and totally disabled from any cause as rated by the VA, or have received the Medal of Honor or a Purple Heart for combat wounds. The veteran must meet South Carolina residency rules, or, under a recent change in state law, the child can qualify by having lived in South Carolina since birth. The student must be 26 or younger and pursuing any undergraduate degree. There is no state appropriation; the college simply does not charge tuition. Families apply online through the Department of Veterans' Affairs with the DD 214, birth certificate and high school diploma, and the benefit starts on the date the application is received.

Other deadlines near this one

• 802 Opportunity Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · Full tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
• Alaska Education Grant
  Due June 30, 2027 · $500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
• Alaska Performance Scholarship
  Due June 30, 2027 · $3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier

How hard is the South Carolina Free Tuition for Certain War Veterans' Children 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.

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 rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
• 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 Free Tuition for Certain War Veterans' Children?

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
• ✓For active-duty military or veteran families or students who lost a parent in military service
• ✓Age 26 or younger

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. Apply before the first term: the waiver is not retroactive and starts on the date SCDVA receives the application.

Apply online; benefit effective from the date the application is received

Any time before enrolling

Common questions about the South Carolina Free Tuition for Certain War Veterans' Children

More military & service families

• South Dakota Free Tuition for Children of Deceased Veterans
  100% of tuition at South Dakota Board of Regents universities · due June 30, 2027
• Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35)
  $1,621 per month of full-time study, up to 36 months (2026-27 rate) · due August 1, 2027
• Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP)
  Up to $30,000 a year (or cost of attendance, if lower) for up to four years · due September 30, 2027
• Texas Tuition Exemption for Children of POW or MIA Service Members
  Exempts all tuition and fees at Texas public institutions · due August 31, 2027
• University of North Georgia ROTC Grant
  Up to $1,500 a year; up to $4,000 a year with an officer contract · due June 30, 2027
• Washington Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Veterans and National Guard Members
  All tuition and fees at Washington public colleges, plus a $500 a year book stipend · due June 30, 2027

Lists this award appears on

• South Carolina Scholarships and State Grants
• No-Essay Scholarships
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships for Military Families and Veterans
• Scholarships With June Deadlines