University Scholarships

USC Upstate Scholars Program

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.

Scholarships for Transfer Students:

Transfer Scholars

$1,000 or $2,000 annual scholarships for entering transfer students
Earned 60 semester hours of transferable credit from a two-year or technical college OR an Associates of Arts or Associates of Science degree from an accredited college
$2,000 for minimum GPA of 3.50; $1,000 for minimum GPA of 3.0

Shawna Neds
Greenville Technical College
Transfer Scholarship

Scholarships for Continuing Students

Scholarships for Continuing Students:

Aspire Scholars

Amount varies depending on need to cover academic expenses
Minimum 2.0 GPA
Undergraduate Degree Seeking
Completed FAFSA
Aspire Scholars Completed application

Scholarships for Entering Freshmen:

Chancellor Scholars

$10,000 annual scholarships for boarding students; $5,000 annually for commuting students
Minimum SAT score of 1300 or ACT score of 27
Rank in top 10% of high school class
Minimum GPA of 3.75

Valedictorian Scholars

$10,000 annual scholarship for boarding students; $5,000 annually for commuting students
Rank first in their class at time of admission to USC Upstate, or at high school graduation
Minimum SAT score of 1000 or ACT score of 21

Provost Scholars

$3,000 annual scholarship
Minimum SAT score of 1200 or ACT score of 25
Rank in top 20% of high school class
Minimum GPA of 3.50

Dean Scholars

$2,000 annual scholarship
Minimum SAT score of 1100 or ACT score of 22
Rank in top 30% of high school class

Promise Scholars

Up to the full cost of tuition after other aid is applied
First time student graduating from a public high school in Spartanburg, Union, or Cherokee County
Recipient of SC Life or Palmetto Fellow Scholarship
Complete the FAFSA
Promise Scholars – click here to apply
100 students will be selected from the applicant pool

Out-of-State Scholarship

Awards $500-$10000 for the year and in-state tuition rates to new freshmen who have a 3.0 minimum high school GPA (on a 4.0 scale), 1000 on SAT, and rank in the top 20 percent of high school class and to new transfer students who have a 2.5 minimum GPA and a minimum of 30 credit hours.

National Merit Scholarships

Annual awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The competition for these awards begins when the students take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year of high school. Students eligible to continue in the National Merit competition are contacted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. At USC Upstate, Merit Scholarships are $500 annually and are renewable for four years of undergraduate study if the student maintains at least a 3.0 GPA. Students receiving other general USC Upstate scholarships may also receive a Merit Scholarship; the total general USC Upstate scholarship package for such students, however, may not exceed the resident, on-campus, cost-of-attendance figure. 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 on the National Merit application.

University of South Carolina Alumni Scholarship

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.

USC Faculty/Staff Dependents' Scholarship

Open for application 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 on 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.

Note: *SAT scores are based on scores from tests taken after April 1, 1995. GPA requirement is based upon a 4.0 scale.

Renewal policy: Chancellor, Valedictorian and Metropolitan 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. Transfer scholarships are renewable for three additional consecutive semesters providing 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.