South Carolina offers a lot of scholarships—from students residing in the state to students coming into the state for college—you’re bound to win an award to save some money. Here’s the ultimate list of top 10 scholarships for high schoolers in South Carolina!
But first, check out Rishab’s video on how he won thousands to get a full ride at Harvard!
1. Warren O. Pinckney Scholarship Fund
Created in 1973 through the will of Mr. Pinckney, this fund provides need-based scholarships to help students with financial need from Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties to pursue a college degree. Multiple awards will be made.
Average award: $500-$2,000
Eligibility:
- Demonstrate financial need
- Live in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties.
- Be a high school senior
- Seeking a professional certification, associate, or bachelor’s degree
Applications can be completed online beginning mid-January. The deadline for all applications to be submitted, including letters of recommendation, is mid-March. All applicants will be contacted regarding their application status by early July.
2. Phillip O’Neill Hanvey Memorial Scholarship Fund
Similar to the Pinckney fund, this provides scholarships to help Charleston County students attend college.
Average award: $1,500-$2,000
Eligibility:
- Demonstrate financial need
- Be a high school senior
- Reside in Charleston County
Applications can be completed online beginning mid-January. The deadline for all applications to be submitted, including letters of recommendation, is mid-March. All applicants will be contacted regarding their application status by early July.
3. Charleston First Responders Scholarship
The Charleston First Responders Scholarship is open to residents of Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties in South Carolina who are interested in attending college. Students who are first responders or dependent of first responders are prioritized in the selection pool.
Average award: $1,000
Eligibility:
- Resident of Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties, South Carolina
- Graduating high school senior or undergraduate student
- Seeking a professional certification, associate, or bachelor’s degree
- First responder or child, stepchild, spouse, or other dependent of a first responder who has served for at least 1 year, retired, or died in the line of duty
Applications can be completed online beginning mid-January. The deadline for all applications to be submitted, including letters of recommendation, is mid-March. All applicants will be contacted regarding their application status by early July.
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4. Decker Scholarship
In honor of James and Mary Bern Decker, this scholarship seeks to provide higher education for students residing in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties.
Average Award: $700
Eligibility:
- Resident of Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties, South Carolina
- Graduating high school senior or undergraduate student
- Professional Certification, 1-year Certificate, Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree
Applications can be completed online beginning mid-January. The deadline for all applications to be submitted, including letters of recommendation, is mid-March. All applicants will be contacted regarding their application status by early July.
5. Porgy & Bess Music Scholarship
The Porgy & Bess Music Scholarship was established by the Board of Directors of the Catfish Row Company with proceeds from Charleston productions of Porgy & Bess. The scholarship is for African-American students who have lived in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties for five or more years, and who will be majoring in music or music education.
Average Award: $1,000 – $2,000
Eligibility:
- Resident of Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties, South Carolina
- High school senior or undergraduate student
- Seeking a professional certification, associate, or bachelor’s degree
- Plan to study music or music education
- African American
Applications can be completed online beginning mid-January. The deadline for all applications to be submitted, including letters of recommendation, is mid-March. All applicants will be contacted regarding their application status by early July.
6. The Gordon Hay Scholarship
The Gordon Hay Scholarship Fund is a merit-based scholarship established in memory of Gordon Hay, an organizational development professional, who was passionate about transformational change through authentic engagement of people’s hearts and minds in the strategic work of the business. He believed passion and fire from within fueled exceptional results.
A committee selects up to two exceptional students, pursuing a degree in a non-performance area of theatre, to receive a one-time award in the amount of up to $10,000 each year. Although the scholarship is merit-based, it can also be given to those who are in financial need.
Award: $10,000 for two students
Eligibility:
- Graduating high school senior from Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster, or York counties in South Carolina
- Seeking an associate or bachelor’s degree
- Studying for a degree in a nonperformance area of theater (e.g. set/lighting/sound/costume design, stage management, arts administration, or education)
- Participate in community service
The application deadline is March 25. There will be a status notice in early April, where there will be virtual portfolio presentations and eventually an award notification mid April.
7. James F. Byrnes Foundation Scholarship
James F. Byrnes Foundation Scholarship provides financial assistance to high school seniors in South Carolina who have lost one or both parents by death and plan to attend college in any state.
Award: $4,500
Eligibility:
- Applicant must have lost one or both parents by death.
- Be a South Carolina resident and a United States citizen.
- Be a current Senior in High School.
- Plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree at an accredited four-year college or university as a freshman.
- Demonstrate financial need and a satisfactory scholastic record.
The application opens up in early December, before closing up in early February.
8. Charleston Post SAME Scholarship
The Society of American Military Engineers encourages students to pursue education in engineering. In addition to awarding students with scholarships, they host summer STEM camps on Engineering and Construction.
Award: $1,000
Eligibility:
- Graduating high school seniors and current college students who are either 1) residents of Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties in South Carolina; or 2) members or spouses or children of members of the SAME Charleston Post
- Applicants must be attending or planning to attend an accredited college or university in any state and major in engineering, architecture, science, mathematics, or a related field
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Selection is based on merit
Applications are due early March, and awards are released mid-April. There will be a presentation of the scholarships on May 22nd.
9. SCABSE Scholarship
The SCABSE Scholarship is a need-based scholarship that awards African American high school seniors in South Carolina interested in attending college in any state.
Award: $1,000
Eligibility:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Graduating senior from a high school in South Carolina
- Planning to enroll at a 2 or 4-year institution of higher learning in any state
- African American
- Completed at least 100 hours of community service within the past 3 years.
The application and all supporting materials must be uploaded and submitted by April 15, 2024.
10. Leslie Richardson Memorial Swan & Sparrow Scholarship
The Leslie Richardson Memorial Swan & Sparrow Scholarship awards high school seniors to study musical performance, jazz studies, or choral conducting.
Award: $3,000
Eligibility:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Resident of the District of Columbia, North Carolina, upstate South Carolina, or Virginia
- Graduating high school senior
- Planning to attend an HBCU
- Studying for a degree in musical performance, jazz studies, or choral conducting
The scholarship opens sometime in early January, with the deadline in the middle of March.
Concluding Remarks
We know you’re tired of seeing many useless sites like Niche or Bold that claim to offer scholarships. They’re often a complete waste of time. Rishab’s Scholarship Masterclass is a straightforward guide full of useful strategies to avoid being stuck with student loan debt. Don’t trust it? Check out a consumer’s experience.
“As a parent, watching my son navigate the scholarship applications was both daunting and overwhelming. Rishab’s approach was a game-changer for us, providing clear, actionable strategies that made the whole process more manageable and far less intimidating. My son secured several scholarships using these techniques, something we thank Rishab greatly for.”
– RavindraIyer75
Image source: University of South Carolina
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