General Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for the SC LIFE Scholarship, students must be a U.S. citizen or permanent
resident that meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under State Residency
Statute and be a South Carolina resident for in-state tuition purposes at the time
of high school graduation and enrollment in one of the S.C. colleges or universities.
First Time Freshmen
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, first time freshmen must meet
two of the following three criteria to receive a SC LIFE Scholarship.
(1) Earn a cumulative 3.0 grade point average (GPA) based on the Uniform Grading
Policy (UGP) upon high school graduation;
(2) Score a minimum of 1100 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) (verbal and math)
or 24 on the ACT;
(3) Graduate in the top 30 percent of his/her high school graduating class.
Using high school transcripts provided with applications for admission, Winthrop University determines tentative eligibility for new freshmen to receive the SC LIFE Scholarship. This eligibility is not confirmed until final high school transcripts are received after high school graduation.
Continuing and Transfer Students
In addition to meeting all general eligibility requirements, students must earn an
average 30 credit hours per year and a cumulative 3.0 LIFE GPA. The LIFE GPA includes all grades and credit hours earned at any eligible institution (in-state
and out-of-state), including courses that do not transfer to Winthrop and courses
taken for college credit while in high school. The LIFE GPA does not include continuing
education courses, non-degree credit courses, or remedial/developmental courses.
Eligibility for transfer students to receive SC LIFE Scholarship is not determined until all transcripts from all schools attended have been received and reviewed.
Eligibility to receive SC LIFE for students enrolled at Winthrop and continuing their enrollment will not be determined until all grades are posted at the end of spring term.
Reminder: Students will have two grade point averages, one calculated for SC LIFE Scholarship eligibility and one calculated by Winthrop for graduation purposes.
To learn more about the SC LIFE Scholarship, please visit the SC Commission on Higher Education.
