With the rising costs of college tuition, it seems like the ‘American dream’ of going to college is getting farther and farther out of reach for many young people across the country, specifically in South Carolina. Wofford’s tuition, for example, will continue its current trend with increasing for the fall of 2022. 

To combat the ever-increasing tuition prices, different states have developed scholarships and grants to help individuals attend colleges and universities. South Carolina has a few of these, including the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, the Life Scholarship and the Hope Scholarship which are all merit-based and only given to South Carolina residents.

Another one of these scholarships that might not be as familiar is the South Carolina Tuition Grant which is awarded to students at eligible independent non-profit colleges within the state of South Carolina, who meet the need-based requirements. 

This grant is voted on to either be renewed or overturned each year by the South Carolina Legislature. Recently it passed for renewal for the 2022-2023 academic year. 

Sparked by the vote of approval, South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) sponsored a state-wide writing campaign to thank the state’s legislators for approving this grant and allowing students to attend their dream school. 

Headed by Wofford Financial Aid Counselor Julie Sturgill, the financial aid office encouraged students to participate in this campaign by providing letter writing tables in Burwell. Students were provided with the names of their specific state senators and house of representatives members, along with all the materials needed to write letters of gratitude. 

Sturgill explained that because this is a grant from the state, students do not have the burden of paying it back, which is one of the many reasons she encouraged students to write letters to their legislators thanking them for approving this grant for another year. 

At Wofford, 39% of students receive the SC Tuition Grant. 

Many of these students would not be able to attend the college if it were not for the additional aid they receive through this grant. One of these students affected by this grant is Cameron Porter ‘25. 

“It gave me the opportunity to come to my dream school and be a part of one of the best biology programs to help me pursue a career in the medical field,” Porter said. “I would not be where I am today without getting the SC tuition grant.” 

For many students in the Wofford community, like Porter, this grant gave them the financial freedom to attend Wofford and pursue all of their academic goals. 

Students who received this grant and want to show their gratitude to their legislators can contact financial aid for the opportunity to do so.