South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 62 - STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Article VII - SOUTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC ENDOWMENT INCENTIVE ACT OF 1997/SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHER EDUCATION MATCHING GIFT FUND
SOUTH CAROLINA HOPE SCHOLARSHIP
Section 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 Higher Education shall be responsible for the allocation of funds, promulgation of guidelines and regulations governing the SC HOPE Scholarship Program, any audits or other oversight as may be deemed necessary to monitor the expenditures of Scholarship funds.

B. According to the Audit Policies and Procedures for Scholarship and Grant Programs Manual, all eligible institutions that participate in the program must abide by program policies, rules or regulations. Institutions also agree to maintain and provide all pertinent information, records, reports or any information as may be required or requested by the Commission on Higher Education or the General Assembly to ensure proper administration of the program.

C. The Chief Executive Officer at each participating institution shall identify to the Commission on Higher Education a SC HOPE Scholarship institutional representative who is responsible for the operation of the program on the campus and will serve as the contact person. The institutional representative will act as the student's fiscal agent to receive and deliver funds for use under the program.

D. The participating institution shall identify to the Commission on Higher Education an institutional representative who is responsible for all inquiries pertaining to residency classification for the purposes of awarding the SC HOPE Scholarship.

E. All eligible independent and public institutions that participate in the program must verify the residency status and lawful presence of any student who receives a SC HOPE Scholarship prior to awarding the Scholarship to the student. When verifying the lawful presence of an individual, institutional personnel shall not attempt to independently verify the immigration status of any alien, but shall verify any alien's immigration status with the federal government pursuant to 8 USC Section 1373(c).