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Scholarships

SC State Scholarships

The South Carolina 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. The LIFE Scholarship may be used towards the cost-of-attendance for up to eight terms based on the students’ initial college enrollment date. Student’s 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 South Carolina LIFE Scholarship website.

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program

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 Palmetto Fellow Scholarship website

SC LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement

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:
    • Doctorate of Pharmacy
    • Bachelor of Science Nursing :RN-BSN and Accelerated BSN
    • Bachelor of Science Health Care Studies

Students may refer to SC Commission on Higher Education’s list of Approved Bachelor Programs and Graduate Programs for Scholarship Enhancements.

Summer LIFE and PALMETTO FELLOWS Scholarships

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).

Changes in enrollment

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.

Application for Life and Palmetto Fellows

MUSC Scholarships

All MUSC institutional scholarships are handled through the individual colleges, not the Office of Student Financial Aid. The selection of recipients and amount of each scholarship is determined by each college. The scholarship application process is handled through SOARS (Scholarship Opportunity Awards Resource System). SOARS is MUSC’s centralized online award management system available to students from all six colleges. Current students can view available scholarships for which they are eligible, complete a general and college-specific application that automatically applies them to scholarships, and view and accept scholarship offers. The SOARS portal can be accessed at https://musc.academicworks.com/. The application cycle dates for each college are posted on the portal. Most scholarships are college-specific and are not applicable to all students.

Contact your respective college for more information on scholarships available to you.

College of Dental Medicine

College of Graduate Studies 

College of Health Professions

College of Medicine

College of Nursing

College of Pharmacy

External Contractual Scholarships

Contractual scholarships provide funding to assist students with meeting their educational expenses. In exchange for the scholarship, the student agrees to specified terms/conditions. Contractual scholarships can be found in SOARS at https://musc.academicworks.com/. Hover over Opportunities in the top left and select External. Then go to Show Filters and select ‘External-Contractual’ under College.