S.C. Code Regs. § § 62-1200.60

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 11, November 22, 2024

Section 62-1200.60 - Institutional Policies and Procedures for Awarding: LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement

A. All eligible institutions are responsible for ensuring that each student has met the criteria based on state law and regulation to determine eligibility for the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement as stipulated in Section 62-1200.10 and Section 62-1200.15.

B. Each institution is responsible for reviewing all students based on the "LIFE GPA" calculation below to determine eligibility for the LIFE Scholarship. Institutions must use official transcripts from all eligible institutions for each student and the steps in Section E below.

C. The institution must use grades earned at all eligible institutions during any term (fall, spring, and/or summer) for calculating a "LIFE GPA" at the end of the academic year.

D. The student must certify by submitting a signed affidavit that he/she is responsible for submitting transcripts from all previous and current eligible institutions. Students who complete coursework at another institution at anytime during the academic year (fall, spring, summer) must submit an official transcript to the home institution at the end of the academic year to determine eligibility for the LIFE Scholarship.

E. Steps for calculating a "LIFE GPA:"

1. Convert all grades earned at an eligible institution to a 4.0 scale based on each institution's grading policy where the grades were earned = Grade Points

2. Multiply the grade points by attempted credit hours = Quality Points (QP)

3. Divide the total quality points by the total number of attempted credit hours = LIFE GPA

4. "LIFE GPA" Formula: (Grade Points X Attempted Credited Hours = QP) = LIFE GPA Total Attempted Credit Hours

F. The "LIFE GPA" must include all grades earned at eligible institutions, including courses that do not transfer based on the institution's policy and college courses taken while in high school.

G. The "LIFE GPA" must not include attempted credit hours earned for continuing education courses, non-degree credit courses for an associate's degree or higher and remedial/developmental courses.

H. The student must meet the annual credit hour requirement at the end of the academic year based on initial college enrollment as defined in the "Continued Eligibility," "Regaining or Earning Eligibility" or "Transfer Students" Sections.

I. LIFE Scholarship awards are to be used only for payment toward the cost-of-attendance as established by Title IV Regulations. Eligible four-year public and independent institutions shall identify award amounts up to the cost-of-tuition for thirty credit hours, not to exceed four thousand seven hundred dollars, plus a three hundred dollar book allowance (maximum $5,000 including cost-of-tuition plus book allowance) per academic year. Eligible two-year public or technical institutions shall identify award amounts, which cannot exceed the cost-of-tuition for thirty credit hours plus a three hundred dollar book allowance (maximum $5,000 including cost-of-tuition plus book allowance) per academic year. For students enrolled at eligible two-year independent institutions, the award amount shall not exceed the maximum cost-of-tuition at the two-year USC regional institutions plus a three hundred dollar book allowance (not to exceed a maximum award amount of $5,000 including cost-of-tuition plus book allowance) per academic year. Half shall be awarded during the fall term and half during the spring term (or its equivalent), assuming continued eligibility. The LIFE Scholarship in combination with all other gift aid, including Federal, State, private and institutional funds, shall not exceed the cost-of-attendance as defined in Title IV regulations for any academic year.

J. The LIFE Scholarship Enhancement is an annual award. Half of the funds are to be disbursed in the fall term and half to be disbursed in the spring term. Students who change their major from an ineligible degree program to an eligible degree program during the same academic year shall not receive the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement until the beginning of the next academic year (i.e., fall term). Students who change their major from an eligible degree program to an ineligible degree program during the same academic year may continue to receive the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement during the current academic year; however, the student cannot be awarded the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement the next academic year of enrollment in an ineligible degree program.

K. The institution shall specify exact LIFE Scholarship Enhancement amounts to be used only for payment toward the cost-of-attendance as established by Title IV Regulations at eligible four-year public and independent institutions in South Carolina. The annual LIFE Scholarship Enhancement award amount shall not exceed $2,500.00 per academic year for no more than three years of instruction if enrolled in an eligible four-year degree program or for not more than four years of instruction if enrolled in an eligible approved five-year degree program. Students enrolled in an eligible 3 plus 2 program shall receive a LIFE Scholarship for no more than four years of instruction and a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement for no more than three years of instruction. Half of the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds shall be awarded in the fall term and half during the spring term (or its equivalent), assuming continued eligibility. The LIFE Scholarship Enhancement in combination with all other gift aid, including Federal, State, private and institutional funds, shall not exceed the cost-of-attendance as defined in Title IV Regulations for any academic year.

L. In determining the amount awarded for the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, all other sources of gift aid, including federal, State, private and institutional funds and the base LIFE Scholarship must be applied to the unmet total cost of attendance in accord with Title IV Regulations before calculating the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement amount and receiving the funds. Adjustments to the financial aid package will be made to the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement in accordance with prescribed Title IV Regulations in order to prevent an over award.

M. Students who have already been awarded a first bachelor's degree or graduate degree are not eligible to receive a LIFE Scholarship or a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement. Students enrolled in a program of study that is structured so as not to require a bachelor's degree and leads to a graduate degree as defined in the "Program Definitions" Section must maintain their undergraduate status in order to receive a LIFE Scholarship and a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement each academic term, with the exception of students majoring in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at South University, the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Presbyterian College, the Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at the University of South Carolina-Columbia and the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at the Medical University of South Carolina.

N. Eligible institutions shall provide an award notification to eligible students that contains the terms and conditions of the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement. Institutions will notify students and the SC Commission on Higher Education of any adjustments in LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds that may result from an over award, change in eligibility, change in the student's residency or change in financial status or other matters.

O. The institution must retain annual paper or electronic documentation for each LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement award to include at a minimum:

1. Award notification;

2. Institutional disbursement to student;

3. Student's residency status;

4. Refunds and repayments (if appropriate);

5. Enrollment and curriculum requirements;

6. Verification of a 3.0 "LIFE GPA" and the required number of annual credit hours based on initial college enrollment;

7. Affidavit documenting that the student:

a) has never been convicted of any felonies and/or a second or subsequent alcohol/ drug-related misdemeanor offenses within the past academic year;

b) understands that non-degree credit hours will not be used in calculating the "LIFE GPA" or credit hour requirements if they are enrolled in an associate's degree or higher; and

c) must certify that they have submitted transcripts from all previous and current institutions attended;

8. Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) or affidavit documenting that the student is not in default or does not owe a refund or repayment on any state or federal financial aid;

9. High school transcript(s) and corresponding rank report (if applicable) verifying graduation or home school completion date, grade point averages and class ranks (first-time entering freshmen) or GED or Adult Education High School Diploma;

10. SAT or ACT scores (first-time entering freshmen);

11. Verification of student's disability from Institutional Disability Service Provider and verification of reduced course-load requirement (if appropriate);

12. Military mobilization orders (if appropriate);

13. Beginning with the 2007-08 freshman class and thereafter, all institutions must retain documentation verifying that students met the minimum fourteen credit hour course level requirement by the end of the first year of college enrollment for the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement;

14. Verification from academic department of enrollment in a declared major in an eligible degree program (LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement purposes only);

15. Documentation from Registrar or Admissions office that student's final high school GPA has been calculated pursuant to a grading scale that is at least equal to the SC UGP (For students who are attempting to use a class rank from an out-of-state institution to qualify for the LIFE Scholarship); and

16. Verification from the institution that lawful presence of the student in the US has been verified.

P. It is the institution's responsibility to ensure that only eligible students receive a LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement award.

Q. Any student who has attempted to obtain or has obtained a LIFE Scholarship and a LIFE Scholarship Enhancement award through means of a willfully false statement or failure to reveal any material fact, condition, or circumstances affecting eligibility will be subject to applicable civil or criminal penalties, including loss of the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement.

R. At the end of the spring term each academic year, the institution must notify all LIFE Scholarship recipients who have not met the continued eligibility requirements for the next academic year. The notification should include information regarding the student's ability to attend summer school in order to meet the continued eligibility requirements.

S.C. Code Regs. § 62-1200.60

Added by State Register Volume 33, Issue No. 6, eff June 26, 2009. Amended by State Register Volume 35, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2011; State Register Volume 45, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/28/2021; State Register Volume 46, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/27/2022.