Students thank legislators for financial aid

Students thank legislators for financial aid

PC students (Jennifer Freeman and Trey Counterman) and staff members (Tiara Jones and Kay Henderson) with Representative Mark N. Willis, District 16 – Greenville & Laurens Counties

More than 100 students from private colleges and universities across South Carolina visited the State House on Wednesday, April 11 for South Carolina College and University Day.

PC students Jennifer Freeman and Trey Counterman were among the group who thanked their legislators for state-supported financial aid.

“It is encouraging to be able to talk to our legislators about how their money for education is helping us at a local level,” Freeman said.

More than 13 thousand students from across the state received a need-based South Carolina Tuition Grant this year. Students who attend private colleges or universities in South Carolina are eligible for the SCTG. The state of South Carolina also makes college affordable by providing merit-based Hope, Life, and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships for in-state students.

“The Tuition Grants Program is very instrumental in providing students access to private education in South Carolina,” said Brian Fortman, PC’s financial aid director. “The SCTG helped make the PC experience a reality for more than 500 of our students.”

During the day, students attended a ceremony in which Senator John Matthews from Bowman, S.C., was recognized as the 2018 SCICU Legislative Champion. Senator Matthews has supported state-funded education grants and scholarships throughout his career.

Freeman and Counterman visited the State House on behalf of all PC students who received the SCTG and Hope, Life, and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships. Many PC students also wrote letters to their legislators thanking them for their support.

“I thoroughly enjoyed representing Presbyterian College, talking with legislators, and letting them know how greatly the students at PC and I appreciate the funding we received from the state,” Counterman said.

The state-funded grants and scholarships are only two examples of financial aid you could be eligible for. To learn more about how we can help make college affordable, please visit our Tuition & Aid page.