Scholarships at MUSC

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. The LIFE Scholarship may be used towards the cost-of-attendance for up to eight terms based on the students’ initial college enrollment date. Students must be enrolled in their first one-year program, first associate’s degree, first two-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree, first baccalaureate degree, or first professional degree. Students with a baccalaureate degree are ineligible.

For more information, please visit the Scholarships and Grants for SC Residents website.

Students can receive the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement of $2500 each year if enrolled in a STEM or Health Professions-related field beginning their second/sophomore year in college (based on initial date of college enrollment). Students may receive Enhancement funding for a maximum of six full-time terms of study toward their first bachelor's degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina. Students with a baccalaureate degree are ineligible.

General Eligibility Requirements

• The student must be a recipient of the base LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.
• The student completed their freshman year of college.
• The student completed at least 14 hours of math and science courses during their first year of enrollment. The first year of enrollment includes the fall, spring and summer term immediately preceding.
• AP, CLEP, Dual Enrollment, IB classes with score of four or higher, exempted credit hours and Pass/Fail courses with grade of “pass” can all be used to meet this requirement.
• MUSC majors eligible for LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Enhancement include:
  • Doctor of Pharmacy
  • Bachelor of Science Nursing: Accelerated and RN-to-BSN
  • Bachelor of Science Health Care Studies

Students may refer to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education's list of Approved Bachelor Programs for Scholarship Enhancements.

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program established in 1988 to recognize the most academically talented high school seniors and encourage these students to attend college in the State. The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program is administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Half of the Scholarship is awarded in the fall term and half in the spring term. The Scholarship must be applied directly toward the cost of attendance, less any other gift aid received. Assuming continued eligibility, Palmetto Fellows may receive Scholarship funding for a maximum of eight full‑time terms of study toward their first bachelor’s degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina. Students with a baccalaureate degree are ineligible.

For more information, please visit the Scholarships and Grants for SC Residents website.

Participation and Eligibility

Participation in the summer state scholarship program is voluntary. Summer participation counts as a term of eligibility. The use of LIFE Scholarship and Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in summer term does not extend the terms of eligibility. Students are limited to eight (8) terms of eligibility.

Students may use the LIFE Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship during the summer term if renewal eligibility requirements are met at the end of the spring term and they are enrolled at least 12 credit hours for the summer. Students who want to use their LIFE Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in the summer term must self-identify their interest to the Financial Aid Office.

A summer term may not be a student’s first term of enrollment.

Summer state scholarship participants who have met continued eligibility at the end of spring are eligible for a fall award, regardless of their academic performance in summer. The next review period for continued eligibility will be at the end of the following spring term.

A student must be registered at MUSC to participate. (No transfer, transient or consortium courses are allowed).

Enrollment Changes

If a student drops to less than 12 hours in the summer, your scholarship will be cancelled and you will have to repay funds. Students who are making up scholarship deficiencies during the regular school year (i.e. GPA, number of credit hours) may not receive Life Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in summer.

Award Amounts

Life eligible students receive $2500. Palmetto Fellows eligible students receive $3750. Enhancement students receive an additional $1250. Enhancement funds may not be deferred in summer.

Awards are made after spring grades have posted. Students are responsible for their tuition and fee payments charged to their accounts even if the scholarship eligibility is undetermined. Students should plan accordingly.

Getting an outside scholarship does not mean you’ll pay more out of pocket—it simply shifts the sources of your financial aid. Scholarship funds can reduce the amount of loans or work-study you might otherwise need. However, federal regulations require MUSC to include all sources of assistance in your financial aid package.

If your combined aid—including federal and MUSC aid, and outside scholarships—exceeds your calculated need or the cost of attendance, MUSC must reduce your federal student aid to stay within the limit. This is known as an overaward.

An outside or private scholarship is any scholarship awarded by an organization other than the government or MUSC. This could include:

• Community or civic organizations
• Employers or unions
• Religious institutions
• Private foundations or nonprofits

An overaward happens when the total financial aid you receive is more than the allowable amount based on your financial need or cost of attendance. In this case, MUSC is required by law to adjust your financial aid—usually by reducing loans or other aid. If you’ve already received more aid than allowed, you may be required to repay the excess.

To avoid this situation, always report outside scholarships early.

You are responsible for notifying the MUSC Financial Aid Office about any outside scholarship or funding source you receive. To report, email the following information to finaid@musc.edu.

• Your full name
• Your MUSC PVID (student ID)
• The name of the scholarship
• The amount of the award
• The semester(s) to which it applies

All outside scholarship checks should be sent directly to:

Office of the Bursar
Medical University of South Carolina
1 S Park Cir, Ste 402
Charleston, SC 29407-4684

The check or accompanying letter should include:

• Your full name
• Your MUSC PVID
• The semester(s) the scholarship should be applied to

If a check is made co-payable to you and MUSC, you must endorse the check before it can be processed. Once endorsed, mail it to the Bursar’s Office at the address above.

If a check is made solely payable to you, it is still your responsibility to report the amount to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Failing to report this may result in an overaward and could require you to repay funds. 

If you're unsure about how an outside scholarship might affect your aid or if you have questions about the reporting process, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.