Grants 

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a federally supported grant available to all first baccalaureate degree students who demonstrate financial need. The size of the grant is determined annually by the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and enrollment status. All undergraduate students are required to apply for a Pell Grant before being considered for other aid.
For additional information, please visit the Federal Pell Grant website.

Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act

Pell-Grant eligible students whose parent/guardian died in the line of duty while serving as a Public Safety Officer are eligible to receive a maximum Pell Grant Award for the school year the eligibility determination is made. The student will remain eligible in subsequent award years, if the student has a Pell-eligible EFC and continues to be an eligible student.

To be eligible, the student must be:

• Pell-Grant Eligible
• Have a Pell-Eligible EFC greater than $0.
• Be less than 24 years old of age OR enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of their parent/guardian’s death.

The definition of Public Safety Officer for the purposes of this scholarship is:

• An individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain.

• An employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who is performing official duties of the agency, if those official duties—
  • Are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and
  • Are determined by FEMA to be hazardous duties;

• An employee of a state, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with FEMA, if those official duties—
  • Are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and
  • Are determined by the agency to be hazardous duties;
    
    
• A member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services; or
  • A fire police officer, defined as an individual who is serving in accordance with state or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency and provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency, or at a planned, special event.
    
    
• A parent or guardian includes non-custodial parents, step-parents, and parents of independent students. In all cases, the parent/guardian status at the time of death is the qualifying eligibility criterion. This may be different from the current parent/guardian status.

A student must self-identify this status and provide supporting documentation to: finaid@musc.edu

Acceptable documentation may include:

• A determination letter acknowledging eligibility for certain federal benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program administered by the Department of Justice;
• A written letter of attestation or determination made by a state or local government official with supervisory or other relevant oversight authority of an individual who died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer as defined above;
• Documentation of the student qualifying for a state tuition or other state benefit accorded to the children or other family members of a public safety officer consistent with the definition in 42 U.S.C. 3796b, or as a fire police officer as noted above; or
• Other documentation the school determines to be from a credible source that describes or reports the circumstances of the death and the occupation of the parent or guardian.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) provides aid for undergraduate students pursuing their first baccalaureate degree who demonstrate financial need. An FSEOG award cannot be less than $100 or more than $4,000 per year with the actual amount determined by the institution.

For additional information, please visit the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

South Carolina State Need Based Grant

The SC State Need Based Grant is designed to provide additional financial aid assistance to South Carolina's neediest students enrolled in undergraduate programs. The program assists students who wish to attend public or independent colleges or universities in the state. Awards vary annually based on funding but will not exceed $3,500. To be eligible, a student must: 1) complete a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually and be considered an “of-need” student; 2) be a S.C. resident; 3) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time student; 4) be seeking for the first time an associate or baccalaureate degree.

For additional information, please visit the South Carolina State Need Based Grant