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University Scholarships

Financial Aid Scholarships University Scholarships

The University of South Carolina Upstate Scholars Program for new and continuing students assists academically talented individuals in their pursuit of higher education. The prestigious awards are given to students who have demonstrated their potential through academic merit. USC Upstate and the upstate region will benefit from the leadership and academic excellence these scholars bring to campus. Scholarships will be awarded to eligible students; however, the number of awards available will be determined by the University. Early application for admission to USC Upstate is encouraged for students to be considered for new student scholarships. Contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for more information.

Most scholarships are awarded based on the application for admission and transcripts. However, if an application is required, the link is provided with the scholarship description.

Requirements

Many scholarships and stipends may be combined with other sources of financial assistance for which a student is eligible. However, a student may not receive more than one full-tuition University scholarship. Students who want to be considered for scholarships must be unconditionally accepted for admission prior to deadlines. USC Upstate students who are awarded scholarships or stipends are required to be in good academic standing. These students must also be free of any current discipline code violation and may not be on disciplinary probation. 

Note: Scholarship information is accurate at the time of publication. Availability of funds and other factors may change. All academic awards require a 3.0 GPA for renewal.

For further information about scholarships and other financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at 864-503-5340 or the Office of Admissions at 864-503-5246.

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    • Chancellor Scholars: $10,000 annual scholarship for students living on campus; $5,000 annually for commuter students. Students must rank in the top 10% of their high school class and have a minimum GPA of 3.75. Requires a minimum SAT score of 1300 or ACT score of 27. Scholarships are renewable for seven additional consecutive semesters providing the student maintains a cumulative USC Upstate GPA of 3.0 and earns a minimum 24 semester hours during the fall and spring semesters.
    • Valedictorian Scholars: $10,000 annual scholarship for students living on campus; $5,000 annually for commuter students. Students must rank first in their class at time of admission to USC Upstate or at high school graduation. Requires a minimum SAT score of 1000 or ACT score of 21. Scholarships are renewable for seven additional consecutive semesters providing the student maintains a cumulative USC Upstate GPA of 3.0 and earns a minimum 24 semester hours during the fall and spring semesters.
    • Provost Scholars: $3,000 annual scholarship. Students must rank in the top 20% of their high school class and have a minimum GPA of 3.50. Requires a minimum SAT score of 1200 or ACT score of 25.
    • Dean Scholars: $2,000 annual scholarship. Students must rank in top 30% of high school class. Requires a minimum SAT score of 1100 or ACT score of 22.
    • Promise Scholars: Up to the full cost of tuition after other aid is applied. Must be a first-time college student graduating from a public high school in Spartanburg, Union, Cherokee or Greenville County, and be a recipient of an SC Life or Palmetto Fellow scholarship. Requires completion of the FAFSA and the Promise Scholars application.

  • Provides $500-$10,000 for the year and in-state tuition rates. New freshmen must have a 3.0 minimum high school GPA (on a 4.0 scale), a minimum SAT score of 1000, and rank in the top 20 percent of their high school class. New transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and minimum of 30 credit hours.

  • The Transfer Scholars program offers $1,000 or $2,000 annual scholarships for entering transfer students. To qualify, you must have earned 60 semester hours of transferable credit from a two-year or technical college OR an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from an accredited college.

    The $2,000 scholarship requires a minimum GPA of 3.50; the $1,000 scholarship requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. Scholarships are renewable for three additional consecutive semesters provided the student maintains a cumulative USC Upstate GPA of 3.0 and earns a minimum of 24 semester hours during the fall and spring semesters.

  • Aspire Scholars: Amount varies depending on need to cover academic expenses. Must be pursuing an undergraduate degree and have a minimum GPA of 2.0. Requires completion of the FAFSA and Aspire Scholars application.

  • Students who are finalists for National Merit Scholarships and plan to attend USC Upstate can receive $500 annually, renewable for four years of undergraduate study if they maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. To be eligible, students must be accepted by USC Upstate; be designated a National Merit finalist; and have listed USC Upstate as their first choice for college on their National Merit application. Students receiving other general USC Upstate scholarships may also receive a Merit Scholarship; however, the total general USC Upstate scholarship package for those students may not exceed the resident, on-campus, cost-of-attendance figure.

  • Awards of varying amounts made to freshmen from the several judicial circuits in South Carolina and from metropolitan areas outside the state. The awards are based on academic ability and are renewable. Note: There is a specific application for this scholarship, and it must be sent to USC Alumni Association in Columbia, SC. Contact our Financial Aid office for more information.

  • Open to any dependent child or spouse of a full-time University of South Carolina system employee. There is competition for this scholarship, and only a limited number of scholarships are awarded each year. To be eligible for consideration, the applicant must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at one of the University’s eight campuses and have attained a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Freshman eligibility is determined by high school class rank and SAT or ACT scores. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years for those students pursuing a baccalaureate degree, provided the recipient maintains a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. In some cases, graduate students may receive the scholarship until receipt of their graduate degrees. Note: There is a specific application for this scholarship that must be sent to USC Columbia. Contact the USC Upstate Financial Aid office for more information.

  • The CRISPR S-STEM scholarship seeks to increase the number of academically talented, low-income students in the fields of biology or chemistry. Each student will receive up to $8,100 per year for up to four years. Learn more here.