South Carolina State University has established three new scholarship programs to support high-achieving students, young leaders, and family members of university employees.
Beginning in the 2027–2028 academic year, SC State will launch the 1896 Scholarship. The program is available to first-year undergraduate students who graduated in the top 15 percent of their class at a South Carolina high school. It includes guaranteed top-off covering tuition, fees, and books after all other aid and grants have been applied, as well as guaranteed housing in the HBCU’s forthcoming Benjamin E. Mays Halls. Renewal for the 1896 Scholarship is available for a total of eight semesters.
“College has to be accessible, and it has to be affordable,” said Alexander Conyers, president of South Carolina State University. “We want our high-achieving students and young leaders across South Carolina to know there is a place for them at SC State. These scholarships are about recognizing the hard work they have already put in and making sure finances are not what stands between them and a college education.”
Also launching in 2027–2028 is the Bulldog Leadership Scholarship, available to students who served as Student Government Association or Student Council presidents at South Carolina high schools, as well as Palmetto Boys State and Palmetto Girls State graduates. Qualifying students receive $1,000 per semester for up to eight semesters and guaranteed housing in Benjamin E. Mays Hall.
“Developing leaders is part of who we are at SC State,” said President Conyers. “For generations, our graduates have gone on to lead in the military, education, business, industry and community service. We want to build on that legacy by bringing more young leaders to our campus, investing in their potential and preparing them to lead in South Carolina and beyond.”
Additionally, SC State has created an Employee Dependent Scholarship, providing a 50 percent tuition discount for dependent children (under the age of 28) or spouses of current university employees who have at least one year of service.
“These scholarships will bring talented scholars and proven leaders to a university where they will be challenged to reach even higher,” said Louis Whitesides, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “SC State offers excellent academic programs that will challenge these students, build on the strengths they already possess and prepare them to excel in their professions and as leaders in their communities.”
