South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 62 - STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Article VIII - HIGHER EDUCATION EXCELLENCE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
LIFE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND LIFE SCHOLARSHIP ENHANCEMENT
Section 62-1200.65 - Institutional Disbursements: LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement

A. Eligible four-year public and independent institutions shall award LIFE Scholarship amounts, which cannot exceed the cost-of-tuition for thirty credit hours a year, not to exceed four thousand seven hundred dollars, plus a three hundred dollar book allowance (maximum $5,000 including cost-of-tuition plus book allowance) per academic year. Eligible two-year public or technical institutions shall award LIFE Scholarship amounts, which cannot exceed the cost-of-tuition for thirty credit hours plus a three hundred dollar book allowance (not to exceed a maximum award amount of $5,000 including cost-of-tuition plus book allowance) per academic year. For students enrolled at eligible two-year independent institutions, the award amount for a LIFE Scholarship shall not exceed the maximum cost-of-tuition at the two-year USC regional institutions plus a three hundred dollar book allowance (not to exceed a maximum award amount of $5,000 including cost-of-tuition plus book allowance) per academic year. Half of the LIFE Scholarship shall be awarded during the fall term and half during the spring term (or its equivalent), assuming continued eligibility. LIFE Scholarship funds cannot be disbursed during the summer or any interim sessions with the exception to disbursements that meet the requisites under the "Enrollment in Internships, Cooperative Work Programs, Travel Study Programs and National and International Student Exchange Programs" or "Military Mobilization" Sections. The LIFE Scholarship in combination with all other gift aid, including Federal, State, private and institutional funds, shall not exceed the cost-of-attendance as defined in Title IV regulations for any academic year.

B. Eligible four-year public and independent institutions only shall award LIFE Scholarship Enhancement amounts, which cannot exceed the cost-of-attendance for thirty credit hours a year, not to exceed $2,500 per academic year. The LIFE Scholarship Enhancement cannot be disbursed during the summer or any interim sessions with the exception of disbursements that meet the requisites under the "Enrollment in Internships, Cooperative Work Programs, Travel Study Programs and National and International Student Exchange Programs" or "Military Mobilization" Sections. The LIFE Scholarship Enhancement in combination with all other gift aid, including Federal, State, private and institutional funds, shall not exceed the cost-of-attendance as defined in Title IV Regulations for any academic year.

C. The LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement may not be applied to a second bachelor's degree or a graduate degree program as defined in the "Program Definitions" Section. In the event of early graduation, the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement awards are discontinued. Students are eligible to receive the LIFE Scholarship for a maximum of eight consecutive terms (or its equivalent) and a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement for a maximum of six consecutive terms (or its equivalent) towards an undergraduate degree, as long as all other eligibility requirements are met and the program is approved by the Commission on Higher Education. In such cases where students are enrolled in a program of study that is structured so as not to require a bachelor's degree for acceptance into the program and leads to a graduate degree, which will be the students' first academic degree awarded, such students must maintain their undergraduate status to be awarded the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, with the exception of students majoring in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at South University, the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at South University, the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Presbyterian College, the Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at the University of South Carolina-Columbia and the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at the Medical University of South Carolina. Students who have already been awarded their first bachelor's degree or graduate degree are not eligible to be awarded a LIFE Scholarship or a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement. Students enrolled in an approved five-year degree program may be eligible to receive a LIFE Scholarship for a fifth year of full-time, undergraduate work and a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement for a fourth year of full-time undergraduate coursework.

D. In determining the amount awarded for the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, all other sources of gift aid, including federal, State, private and institutional funds and the base LIFE Scholarship, must be applied to the unmet total cost-of-attendance in accord with Title IV Regulations before calculating the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement amount and receiving the funds. Adjustments to the financial aid package will be made to the base LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement in accordance with prescribed Title IV Regulations in order to prevent an over award.

E. After the last day to register for each term of the academic year, the institution will verify enrollment of each recipient as a South Carolina resident who is a full-time, degree-seeking student. The institution must submit a request for LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds and/or return of funds by the established deadline each term. In addition, a listing of all eligible recipients by identification numbers with award amounts for the term must be sent to the Commission on Higher Education. At this time any unused funds must be returned to the Commission on Higher Education immediately.

F. The Commission will disburse LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement awards to the eligible institutions to be placed in each eligible student's account.

G. The student must be enrolled at the time of disbursement of LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds as a full-time student at the home institution, and meet all requirements as established in the "Student Eligibility" Section for a LIFE Scholarship and the a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement. Students who are retroactively awarded must have been enrolled in a minimum of twelve credit hours (full-time) as a declared major in an eligible program under Section 62-1200.10 at the home institution at the time the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement would have been disbursed for that term.

H. The LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement are to be annual awards. Half of the funds are to be disbursed in the fall term and half to be disbursed in the spring term. Students who change their major from an ineligible degree program to an eligible degree program during the same academic year shall not receive the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement until the beginning of the next academic year (i.e., fall term). Students who change their major from an eligible degree program to an ineligible degree program during the same academic year may continue to receive the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement during the current academic year; however, the student cannot be awarded the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement the next academic year of enrollment in an ineligible degree program.