SC Seniors Can Apply for $10,000 College Award

Eligible South Carolina high school seniors graduating in spring 2027 can now apply statewide for a Meeting Street Scholarship Fund award that also covers housing and food.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Scholarships

SC Seniors Can Apply for $10,000 College Award

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Should South Carolina expand state-funded college scholarships to more students?

The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund has opened its statewide application for the 2027-28 academic year, letting eligible high school seniors in all 46 South Carolina counties apply for up to $10,000 toward college costs.

Why it matters

The fund expanded statewide after receiving recurring state funding approved by the South Carolina General Assembly in August, which gives high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need a wider path to help paying for college. Because the award can cover housing, food and fees as well as tuition, it targets some costs that many aid programs leave out.

Awards go up to $10,000, and eligible students must reside in South Carolina, graduate high school in spring 2027, earn the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, complete the FAFSA and qualify for a Federal Pell Grant. Applicants will be notified within two weeks whether they are candidates, and the fund projects about 3,000 new recipients for the 2027-28 school year.

The players

Meeting Street Scholarship Fund

A South Carolina scholarship provider that awards up to $10,000 to high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need for college costs.

South Carolina General Assembly

The state legislature that approved recurring state funding for the scholarship, which enabled its statewide expansion.

The details

Students apply through the fund's online portal at myportal.meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org, which the Scholarship Fund simplified this cycle. To be considered, students must also enroll full-time at one of 16 eligible in-state colleges. The scholarship is funded through a mix of a public-private partnership, private philanthropy and recurring state funding.

August 2026: South Carolina General Assembly approved recurring state funding.
November 9, 2026: Application window opened statewide.
Spring 2027: Eligible students graduate high school.
2027-28 academic year: Projected new scholarship recipients enroll and receive awards.

Education Landscape

The statewide expansion arrives as South Carolina families weigh rising college costs against available aid, and it works alongside the state's merit-based LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships. Adding a needs-based award that can cover housing and food reflects a broader trend of aid programs reaching beyond tuition alone.

Eligible South Carolina high school seniors graduating in spring 2027 can apply now for up to $10,000 if they meet the residency, LIFE or Palmetto Fellows, FAFSA and Pell Grant requirements. Students with questions about how this award fits with their other aid should contact their school's financial-aid office or another qualified adviser.

The takeaway

The statewide opening gives eligible South Carolina seniors a new source of college funding that can cover housing and food as well as tuition. Students who think they may qualify should check the eligibility requirements on the fund's official page and confirm their plans with their school's financial-aid office.

What happens next

Applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application window opening on whether they are candidates, and eligible students graduating in spring 2027 will enroll for the 2027-28 academic year.