Tuition Assistance Programs

South Carolina National Guard College Assistance Program

Undergraduate students who are members of the South Carolina Army or Air National Guard may apply for College Tuition Assistance (CAP) each year. Applications are available from June through August annually on the National Guard site and submitted to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE). The total of all grants received may not exceed $18,000. Members may not receive funds for more than one hundred thirty (130) attempted semester hours. Members on a full-ROTC scholarship are ineligible.

Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market is a tuition-savings program for college students residing in one of the sixteen Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states to pursue a degree-program not offered by their in-state institutions. Students can enroll in out-of-state institutions that offer their degree program and pay that institution's in-state tuition rate.

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.

Free Tuition for Certain War Veterans’ Children

Children of certain South Carolina War Veterans (deceased or 100% disabled during military service certified by the Veterans Administration) can attend SC State Supported Institutions, enrolled in an undergraduate program up until their 26^th birthday and pay no tuition.

MUSC Health Employee Tuition Assistance

MUSC Physicians Employee Tuition Assistance

MUSC University Employee Tuition Assistance