South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 62 - STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION › Article III - STUDENT AND INSTITUTION ASSISTANCE › Subarticle C - SOUTH CAROLINA NEED-BASED GRANTS PROGRAM › Section 62-465 - Student Eligibility

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
A. To be
				eligible for a Need-based Grant each academic year, the student must:
1. Be a "needy student" following the
				financial need analysis as established under Title IV Regulations for
				determining eligibility for Federal Student Aid. The student must file the Free
				Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form;
2. Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent
				resident that meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under State
				Residency Statutes whose lawful presence in the US has been verified at the
				time of enrollment at the institution;
3. Be a resident of the state of South
				Carolina for twelve consecutive months as defined in Chapter 112 of Title 59 of
				the 1976 Code of Laws governing the determination of residency for tuition and
				fee purposes;
4. Be enrolled or
				accepted for enrollment as a part-time or full-time degree-seeking student in
				an eligible program of study at an eligible public institution in South
				Carolina. A student enrolled in less than six credit hours during one semester
				may not receive a Need-based Grant for the semester in question but is eligible
				for reapplication for a grant upon return to part-time or full-time
				status;
5. Be enrolled and
				attending or have completed at the time of the grant disbursement in a minimum
				of six credit hours if part-time for the semester or twelve credit hours if
				full-time for the semester;
6.
				Certify that he/she has not been adjudicated delinquent or been convicted or
				pled guilty or nolo contendere to any felonies or any second or subsequent
				alcohol or drug-related offenses under the laws of this or any other state or
				under the laws of the United States in order to be eligible for a South
				Carolina Need-based Grant, except that a high school or college student
				otherwise qualified who has been adjudicated delinquent or has been convicted
				or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a second or subsequent alcohol or
				drug-related misdemeanor offense nevertheless shall be eligible or continue to
				be eligible for such grants after the expiration of one academic year from the
				date of the adjudication, conviction, or plea; and be eligible for the
				need-based grants for a maximum of four academic years of two semesters by
				submitting a signed affidavit each academic year to the institution. However, a
				high school or college student who has been adjudicated delinquent, convicted,
				or pled guilty or nolo contendere of a second or subsequent alcohol/drug
				related misdemeanor offense is ineligible for the next academic year of
				enrollment at an eligible institution after the date of the adjudication,
				conviction or plea. If the adjudication, conviction, or plea occurs during the
				academic year after the student has already submitted a signed affidavit to the
				institution, the student will be eligible to receive the Need-based Grant the
				remainder of the academic year. However, the student will be ineligible for the
				Need-based Gant the following entire academic year of enrollment. If a student
				completes a pretrial intervention program and has his/her record expunged the
				conviction will not affect grant eligibility; and
7. Verify that he/she does not owe a refund
				or repayment on a State Grant, a Pell Grant, or a Supplemental Educational
				Opportunity Grant and is not in default on a loan under the Federal Perkins
				Loan or Federal Stafford Loan Programs; and
8. Must reapply for the Need-based Grant each
				academic year and meet all eligibility requirements annually.
9. Students who have previously earned credit
				hours and are applying for the South Carolina Need-based Grant for the first
				time must have earned at least a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0
				scale for graduation purposes at the end of the academic year before being
				awarded the Grant.