LIFE Scholarship

The Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship program administered by the financial aid office at each eligible public and independent institution in South Carolina. It’s purpose is to increase ACCESS to higher education, improve EMPLOYABILITY of South Carolina students, provide INCENTIVES for students to be better prepared for college, encourage students to GRADUATE from college on time. You may read more about the guidelines for the LIFE Scholarship provided by CHE on their website. We have provided below a link to the list of Frequently Asked Questions from CHE and also at Furman University.

Scholarship Specifics:

There is no application process for the LIFE Scholarship. Students will automatically be reviewed and awarded the scholarship by Furman. This information is subject to change by either the South Carolina General Assembly or the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. You may view the most recent guidelines for the LIFE program at South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

• General Eligibility Requirements
• First-Year Student Requirements
• Continuing Student Requirements
• Award Amount
• Terms & Timeline
• Disbursements

• Graduate from high school or complete a home school program as prescribed by law;
• Attend an eligible South Carolina public or private college or university;
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) at the time of high school graduation and be a legal resident of South Carolina as defined in applicable State statutes governing the determination of residency for tuition and fee purposes at the time of high school graduation;
• Be enrolled as a full-time degree-seeking student;
• Certify that he or she has never been convicted of any felonies and has not been convicted of any second of subsequent alcohol or other drug-related misdemeanor convictions within the past academic year;
• Verify that he or she is not in default and does not owe a refund or repayment on any Federal or State financial aid;
• Must not be a SC HOPE Scholarship, Palmetto Fellows Scholarship or Lottery Tuition Assistance recipient.
• For a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, students must attend an eligible four-year South Carolina public or private college or university

To qualify for the LIFE Scholarship, a first-time entering freshman attending an eligible four-year institution must meet two of three of the following criteria:

• Earn a cumulative 3.0-grade point average (GPA) based on the SC Uniform Grading Scale upon high school graduation
• Score 1100 on the SAT or an equivalent of 22 on the ACT
• Rank in the top 30% of the graduating class

Other information regarding these factors:

• The grade point average must be reported to two decimal places (minimum) and cannot be rounded. The GPR must be calculated after the official completion of courses required for graduation
• The ranking percentages must be reported in two decimal places (minimum) and cannot be rounded. The class rank must be based on the SC Uniform Grading Scale.
• The rank must be based on all students who received their diploma during the traditional graduation ceremony typically in May/June. The graduating class cannot include any students who graduated during the summer
• SAT/ACT scores will be accepted through the June national test administration of the high school graduation year.
• It is permissible to select the highest SAT Evidence-based Reading score combined with the highest SAT Evidenced-based Math score from different test administrations.
• The ACT composite score may be based on multiple test sittings.

After completion of the first academic year of college or to earn the scholarship while in college, students must:

• Meet all general eligibility criteria;
• Earn an average of 30 credit hours* by the end of each academic year (fall, spring, summer) equaling a minimum of 30 credit hours consistent with the policies and procedures of the institution if a rising second-year student, 60 credit hours if a rising third-year student consistent with the policies and procedures of the institution, or 90 credit hours consistent with the policies and procedures of the institution if a rising fourth-year student; and
• Earn a minimum 3.0 LIFE grade point average (GPA) based on grades earned at ALL institutions attended excluding remedial, continuing education, and non-degree credit courses by the end of each academic year (fall, spring, summer). Please note that the new LIFE GPA includes any dual enrollment grades earned while in high school.
• To receive the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, the student must be a recipient of the LIFE Scholarship in his/her second, third, or fourth year of enrollment at an eligible four-year institution in SC. In addition, the student must have a declared major in a math or science field and have successfully completed a total of at least fourteen credit hours of instruction in mathematics and life and physical science courses (including AP, IB and dual enrollment courses taken during high school) by the end of the student’s first year of enrollment in college (based on the initial date of college enrollment).

* Credit hours include any college credits earned during an academic year, as well as any AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, CLEP, and exempted credit hours

Annual value: $5,000 per year

Four-year value: $20,000

• The LIFE Scholarship award amount is determined annually by the South Carolina General Assembly.
• Currently, the maximum value is $5,000
• Sophomore-, junior-, and senior-level students may receive a maximum of $7,500 provided they are in a declared major of science or mathematics and other conditions are met.
• Note: The LIFE Scholarship in combination with all other scholarships and grants may not exceed the cost of attendance as defined by Title IV regulations.

Terms

You may receive the LIFE Scholarship through the eighth consecutive semester following initial college enrollment. The eight-semester limit is a time limit only. The limit is not determined by the number of semesters the LIFE Scholarship has been received and may include periods of non-enrollment.

Timeline

Once a student begins college (assuming they have met the initial criteria to be awarded the scholarship), they have up to eight semesters of potential eligibility. If a student graduates before using all eight semesters, the student forfeits any remaining LIFE Scholarship semesters (stipends). LIFE Scholarship funds cannot be used toward a graduate degree if a student completes their first baccalaureate degree in less than eight semesters.

The LIFE Scholarship is credited to your student account to satisfy any charges. If all tuition and fees are satisfied and you are enrolled full-time, excess aid is refunded to the student and can be used for any college-related expenses, including off-campus housing.

The LIFE Scholarship is typically available during the Fall and Spring semesters. If you are participating in a study abroad program that is not affiliated with Furman, you will not be able to use your scholarship eligibility for that semester. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid with any questions.

Dropping Below Full-Time or Withdrawing

If you are receiving the LIFE Scholarship or any other financial aid, dropping below full-time status or withdrawing completely may affect your eligibility to receive aid. If you are considering dropping a class (and will be enrolled in less than 12 credits hours as a result) or considering withdrawing from the University, you should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at [email protected] to determine the effect on your financial obligations.

LIFE GPA

The LIFE GPA is a GPA used only for the purpose of LIFE Scholarship awards. It represents an all-college GPA, consisting of the combined total of a student’s Grade (Quality) Points divided by the cumulative number of attempted credit hours from all schools attended to earn college credits, even while still enrolled in high school. The GPA must be 3.0 or better.

Frequently Asked Questions at Furman:

May I use my scholarship if I am participating in Study Away?

Yes, you may be eligible to receive your scholarship funds as long as you are in a Furman affiliated or Furman sponsored study away program. You must maintain full-time enrollment for the semester. You should complete the Consortium Agreement with the Study Away Office.

Returning to Furman

If you study abroad and your transcripts from a foreign school are not sent back to Furman before the next school year starts, there may be a delay in awarding your LIFE scholarship for the next term. Some students will have enough cumulative credits to award the LIFE scholarship before their study abroad transcript arrives and is posted. Students who don’t have enough earned credit hours won’t have the LIFE Scholarship until the transcript arrives, is evaluated and the transfer credits are posted through the Office of Records and Registration.

Once eligibility is confirmed, the LIFE Scholarship can be awarded after the school term has started.

If I take a Leave of Absence (LOA) prior to the start of the semester what happens to my LIFE Scholarship?

The LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement are continuous programs. Therefore, if you drop out or take a leave of absence from the institution, the “clock is still ticking” so to speak. You will still have to adhere to the yearly credit hour requirements just like you would if you were still in school. During your time off, terms of eligibility are being used even if you are not enrolled or receiving any LIFE Scholarship funds. The total terms of eligibility a student has is based upon the initial term of enrollment. The semester you are not enrolled in is still counted as one of the eight terms of potential eligibility. Future eligibility might be jeopardized because of lower credit hours earned and/or low GPA after a student has taken a semester off.

A student must also file an appeal to the Commission on Higher Education for a review of their file under certain circumstances. Typically, just taking off a semester is not considered a valid reason to request a review.

If I must withdrawal (or take a LOA) from Furman during the semester after I have enrolled and been taking classes what happens to my LIFE Scholarship?

• In the event a student who has been awarded the LIFE Scholarship or LIFE Scholarship Enhancement withdraws, is suspended from the institution, or drops below full-time status during any regular term of the academic year, institutions must reimburse the Program for the amount of the LIFE and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement for the term in question pursuant to refund policies of the institution. Collection is the responsibility of the institution.
• In the event a student withdraws or drops below full-time status after the institution’s refund period and therefore must pay tuition and fees for full-time enrollment, the award may be retained by the student pursuant to the refund policies of the institution.
• There are instances where a student must leave school for documented medical reasons, including psychological reasons. If a student takes a medical withdrawal during the Fall term, they should still be able to enroll and use their LIFE Scholarship as as a full-time student in the Spring, since the scholarship is awarded for a year at a time.
• Regardless of the semester itself, we would advise the student to submit an appeal to the Commission on Higher Education for a review of the student’s eligibility for the next academic year.

As a senior, am I required to enroll/earn 30 hours our final year in college?

No. If you are in your final year of eligibility (fourth year), you must maintain full-time (at least 12 hours) enrollment per semester. However, you do not have earn 30 credits for the final year since your eligibility is over after you graduate.

What happens if my cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 or I don’t earn thirty credit hours by the end of the academic year?

To keep the LIFE Scholarship, students must earn a cumulative 3.0 LIFE grade point average (GPA) and an average of 30 credit hours each academic year. In addition, any credit hours attempted or earned before high school graduation, hours exempted by examination, or advanced placement credit accepted by the institution as academic credit, will be reflected in the total number of cumulative hours earned. Also, remember that the academic year is considered fall, spring and summer. Therefore, you can use the summer to bring up a GPA or earn credit hours. For the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, the student must continue to be enrolled full-time as a math or science major at a four-year SC institution and be a recipient of the LIFE Scholarship at the time of LIFE Scholarship Enhancement disbursement.

Students who fail to earn a cumulative 3.0 LIFE GPA at the end of the academic year or the requisite number of hours required, may regain eligibility the next academic year if their cumulative LIFE GPA is a 3.0 at the end of the academic year and they have earned a minimum of 30 credit hours if a rising sophomore, 60 credit hours if a rising junior, or 90 credit hours if a rising senior. The academic year is considered fall, spring and summer. Therefore, you can use the summer to bring up a GPA or earn credit hours. Please consult the Office of Financial Aid to verify that credit hours earned during the summer at another institution will be accepted. Students who do not meet the annual credit hour requirement at the end of each
academic year (based on initial date of college enrollment) cannot receive a LIFE Scholarship or LIFE Scholarship Enhancement.

May I use credit hours earned through AP, CLEP or collegiate hours earned prior to high school graduation toward the credit hour requirement?

Any credit hours earned before high school graduation, hours exempted by examination, or advanced placement credit hours do not count against the semester limits and may be used towards the credit hour requirement if accepted by the institution for the LIFE Scholarship and towards the fourteen credit hour requirement for the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement. Please be sure to submit information to the Admissions Office prior to enrollment at Furman.

If I need to drop a class for the term, will I automatically lose the LIFE Scholarship?

No. As long as you are enrolled full-time (at least 12 hours) at the time of scholarship disbursement (restricted add/drop deadline) for the semester, you have until the end of the academic year (including the immediately succeeding summer) to complete the required thirty credit hours. Your semester enrollment is “locked” at the conclusion of the restricted add/drop date each semester. If you have any questions about dropping a course which may affect your eligibility, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.