Pass/Fail Option Notice

If you plan on using the pass/fail option, see how it would impact your state scholarships. Check the state scholarship tab for more information.

PC Scholarships

Presbyterian College is proud to help you achieve your goals by awarding a variety of scholarships.

Laurens County Scholarship: Students must be current residents of Laurens County, S.C., to be eligible for the Laurens County Scholarship. Students must have attended and recently graduated from a Laurens County (S.C.) high school and plan to enroll at PC the following academic year.

Student Referral Scholarship: Incoming students who are nominated by PC alumni, faculty, staff, current students, current or past parents, or friends of the College will receive the Student Referral Scholarship, a $1,880 scholarship awarded annually for up to four years. In order to receive the scholarship, a student must submit his or her application and must be referred at any time prior to their acceptance to the College. The Student Referral Scholarship cannot be combined with Legacy Scholarship or the Emerging Church Leadership Scholarship.

Legacy Scholarship: Students whose immediate family (i.e. parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles) graduated from Presbyterian College qualify for the Legacy Scholarship. This award is a $1,880 scholarship awarded annually for up to four years. Please note there is a limit of one Legacy Scholarship per student. This scholarship cannot be combined with the Student Referral Scholarship or the Emerging Church Leadership Scholarship.

Emerging Church Leader Scholarship: This scholarship, which totals $1,000 and is awarded for a maximum of four years, is awarded to students who are viewed as leaders in their church community. In order to qualify, students must be recommended by a leader in their church. In addition, referred students must apply by December 1. The Emerging Church Leadership Scholarship cannot be combined with the Student Referral Scholarship or the Legacy Scholarship.

Griffith Scholarship: PC’s most prestigious award, the Griffith Scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, fees, room and board and is renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study at PC with specific GPA renewal requirements. Two high school seniors selected each year as Griffith Scholars not only will have exhibited exceptional academic achievement, but they also will have demonstrated leadership ability and potential as well as outstanding personal character. To be considered, candidates must submit an admissions application by December 1.

Music Scholarships: The Department of Music offers music scholarships to students at PC regardless of major or minor. Ensemble scholarships are available as are scholarships for majors and minors in music. Candidates must submit the Music Scholarship Application to the Department of Music. Please call the music department at 864-833-8470 or email them at music@presby.edu if you have any questions.

Merit-Based Scholarships: Presbyterian College offers a wide variety of merit-based scholarships, ranging from $5,000 to $23,000. These awards recognize academic and leadership accomplishments throughout high school. When evaluating a student’s file for merit scholarships, we consider academic performance, strength of curriculum, strength of high school, SAT/ACT scores, class rank, and leadership. Candidates must complete an admissions application by February 1. to be considered for merit-based scholarships All merit-based scholarships are awarded based on a student’s re-calculated GPA using only core academic courses taken in high school.

Palmetto Boys State and Palmetto Girls State Scholarships: PC offers scholarships to attendees of Palmetto Boys State and Palmetto Girls State. Candidates must submit an application by December 1 in order to qualify.

ROTC Scholarships: High school juniors and seniors may apply for the U.S. Army ROTC Four-Year College Scholarship. This scholarship includes full tuition and fees, $1,200 annually for books, and a monthly stipend for contracted cadets. Presbyterian College may pay room and board for these scholarship recipients. You must submit an admissions application by December 1 and the FAFSA by January 1 of your senior year of high school to be considered. Current PC students may also apply for ROTC scholarships. Visit the Military Science Department for details.nt for details.

Athletic Scholarships: Athletic scholarships are available for men in baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women may receive scholarships in basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

Presbyterian College Grants: The Scholarship Committee awards other grants to students who qualify due to need or outstanding achievements. Awards may be renewable, provided satisfactory progress is maintained.

We encourage you to complete your FAFSA by October 1st. Doing so ensures that you will receive your completed financial aid package by March 1. 

Undergraduate Candidates: You may qualify for one of the following academic-based scholarships if you’re a South Carolina resident at the time you graduate from high school and enroll in college. You must enroll as a full-time student to be considered for these scholarships*.

Pharmacy Students Year 1 (P1) and Year 2 (P2): The Financial Aid Office will determine the remaining terms of eligibility. Please email the Office of Financial Aid if you have eligibility for these state scholarships.

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship awards $6,700 for freshmen and $7,500 for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, up to a maximum of eight consecutive semesters. You must submit an application to the SC Commission on Higher Education for this award during your senior year of high school. See your high school guidance counselor for details about the application.

Three Requirements for Eligibility:

  • A 3.5 GPA at end of your junior year of high school (state uniform grading scale)
  • Score at least 1200 on the SAT or 27 ACT equivalent
  • Rank in the top 6% of your class at the end of your sophomore or junior year

Two Requirements for Alternate Eligibility:

  • A 4.0 GPA at end of your junior year of high school (state uniform grading scale)
  • Score at least 1400 on the SAT or 32 ACT equivalent

Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.0 PC GPA and earn at least 30 credit hours each academic year to retain the scholarship.

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement

The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement awards an additional $2,500 per academic year for sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Three Requirements for Eligibility:

  • Maintain continued Palmetto Fellows Scholarship eligibility
  • Earn at least 14 credit hours of instruction in math or life and physical sciences or a combination of both by end of your freshman year in college
  • Declare an eligible major in a math or science field by the DROP/ADD date of your sophomore year

LIFE Scholarship

The LIFE Scholarship awards $5,000 per academic year up to eight consecutive semesters.

Requirements for Eligibility (must meet two of the three following criteria):

  • Earn a 3.0 final high school GPA (state uniform grading scale)
  • Score at least 1100 on the SAT or 24 ACT equivalent
  • Rank in the top 30% of your high school graduating class

Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.0 Life GPA each academic year and earn an average of 30 credit hours each academic year to retain the scholarship. Students attempting to increase the Life GPA may obtain advanced approval from PC’s registrar to enroll in another institution’s summer courses.

LIFE Scholarship Enhancement

The LIFE Scholarship Enhancement awards an additional $2,500 per academic year for sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Three Requirements for Eligibility:

  • Maintain continued Life Scholarship eligibility
  • Earn at least 14 credit hours of instruction in math or life and physical sciences or a combination of both by end of your freshman year in college
  • Declare an eligible major in a math or science field by the DROP/ADD date of the sophomore year

South Carolina HOPE Scholarship

The South Carolina HOPE Scholarship awards a one-time grant of $2,800 for first-time entering freshmen.

Eligibility Requirement:

  • Earn a 3.0 final high school GPA (state uniform grading scale)

Impact on State Scholarships using Pass/Fail Options

Taking the pass/fail option gives you credit for earned hours but does not impact your GPA. This can be an advantage for some but not all students. Look at your individual situation, not what another student is doing. Students are unique in their financial aid awards and academic history.

Consider using letter grades (quality points) to increase your GPA if your current GPA is below what is required to renew your state scholarship and you would need to earn spring grades that will improve your GPA. 

If your GPA met the renewal standards after fall semester, you should consider if your spring grades would help or hurt your GPA. If spring grades decrease your GPA, then the pass/fail option would be to your advantage. 

We suggest using this GPA calculator to see if grades help or hurt your GPA.

A reminder about what is required to renew state scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year:

For the SC Tuition Grant, you must earn at least 24 credit hours annually and you must meet SAP requirements found on p.13-14 of the PC Academic Catalog. Remember to file your FAFSA by the SCTG deadline of June 30th or you will not be eligible regardless of grades and credits earned.

If you have SC Hope, you need to meet the renewal requirements for SC LIFE after the first year of college. Read more about that in the next paragraph. SC Hope is for the freshman year only.

If you have SC LIFE, you must earn at least a 3.0 LIFE GPA (LIFE GPA looks at ALL college credits earned at any institution you have attended) and the following average of hours each year:

  • After the first year of college, earn at least 30 credit hours.
  • After the second year of college, earn at least 60 credit hours.
  • After the third year of college, earn at least 90 credit hours.

If you have Palmetto Fellows, you need at least 30 hours earned at PC since August and you have to have at least a 3.0 PC GPA (only grades earned at PC) to renew for 2020-2021.

Private Scholarships, also known as non-institutional scholarships, are funded by various individuals, organizations, and companies. Application and awarding procedures vary.

PC is not affiliated with these types of scholarships and we ask that you use caution when using certain scholarship search websites. Some websites may sell your name to other companies. When you register to participate, you should consider whether you want to receive mailings from groups who may buy your name and address from the website owners.

Recommended Scholarship Search Services

Cappex
College Board
College Scholarships
Fast Web
Sallie Mae’s College Answer
US News
Graduate School Scholarship Search

All outside funding must be reported to the Financial Aid Office.