Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024
A. To be
eligible for a Need-based Grant each academic year, the student must:
1. Be a "needy student" following the
financial need analysis as established under Title IV Regulations for
determining eligibility for Federal Student Aid. The student must file the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form;
2. Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent
resident that meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under State
Residency Statutes whose lawful presence in the US has been verified at the
time of enrollment at the institution;
3. Be a resident of the state of South
Carolina for twelve consecutive months as defined in Chapter 112 of Title 59 of
the 1976 Code of Laws governing the determination of residency for tuition and
fee purposes;
4. Be enrolled or
accepted for enrollment as a part-time or full-time degree-seeking student in
an eligible program of study at an eligible public institution in South
Carolina. A student enrolled in less than six credit hours during one semester
may not receive a Need-based Grant for the semester in question but is eligible
for reapplication for a grant upon return to part-time or full-time
status;
5. Be enrolled and
attending or have completed at the time of the grant disbursement in a minimum
of six credit hours if part-time for the semester or twelve credit hours if
full-time for the semester;
6.
Certify that he/she has not been adjudicated delinquent or been convicted or
pled guilty or nolo contendere 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 Need-based 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 contendere 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; and be eligible for the
need-based grants for a maximum of four academic years of two semesters by
submitting a signed affidavit each academic year to the institution. However, a
high school or college student who has been adjudicated delinquent, convicted,
or pled guilty or nolo contendere of a second or subsequent alcohol/drug
related misdemeanor offense is ineligible for the next academic year of
enrollment at an eligible institution after the date of the adjudication,
conviction or plea. If the adjudication, conviction, or plea occurs during the
academic year after the student has already submitted a signed affidavit to the
institution, the student will be eligible to receive the Need-based Grant the
remainder of the academic year. However, the student will be ineligible for the
Need-based Gant the following entire academic year of enrollment. If a student
completes a pretrial intervention program and has his/her record expunged the
conviction will not affect grant eligibility; and
7. Verify that he/she does not owe a refund
or repayment on a State Grant, a Pell Grant, or a Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant and is not in default on a loan under the Federal Perkins
Loan or Federal Stafford Loan Programs; and
8. Must reapply for the Need-based Grant each
academic year and meet all eligibility requirements annually.
9. Students who have previously earned credit
hours and are applying for the South Carolina Need-based Grant for the first
time must have earned at least a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0
scale for graduation purposes at the end of the academic year before being
awarded the Grant.
B.
Students who meet satisfactory academic progress (see 62-475. D.) may not
receive Need-based Grant funding totaling more than $14,000 if the students are
seeking their first baccalaureate degree or a program of study that is
structured so as not to require a baccalaureate degree and leads to a graduate
degree, $7,000 if the students are seeking their first associate's degree, or
$3,500 if the students are seeking their first one-year certificate or diploma.
Students may only receive Need-based Grant funding for up to three semesters of
the academic year. Students who have already been awarded their first
baccalaureate degree are not eligible to receive a Need-based Grant.
C. Students enrolled in an eligible program
of study as stated in the "Program Definitions" Section may include remedial
courses as part of the minimum number of required credit hours for part-time or
full-time status, as long as such courses carry credit hours and meet Title IV
limitations on remedial coursework.
D. Any false information provided by the
student or any attempt to obtain or expend any Need-based Grant for unlawful
purposes or any purpose other than in payment or reimbursement for the
cost-of-attendance at the institution authorized to award the grant will be
cause for immediate cancellation of the Need-based Grant. Any student who has
obtained a Need-based Grant through means of a willfully false statement or
failure to reveal any material fact, condition, or circumstances affecting
eligibility will be subject to applicable civil or criminal penalties,
including loss of the Need-based Grant.
