The Office of Undergraduate Admissions offers a number of merit scholarships to help make college more affordable. The State of South Carolina also provides the lottery-funded HOPE, LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships to qualified residents of South Carolina. All requirements for eligibility, renewal, scholarship funding and enhancement are under review by the South Carolina General Assembly and are subject to change. Students may qualify for only one of the state scholarships listed below.
S.C. Programs
Palmetto Fellows Scholarship
The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is the state’s most prestigious scholarship, valued at $6,700 for the first year and $7,500 for subsequent years. To receive the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, students must apply through their high school guidance counselor and meet specific academic requirements.
LIFE Scholarship
The LIFE Scholarship is valued at $5,000 per year. To receive the LIFE Scholarship, students must meet specific academic requirements. There is no application process for the LIFE Scholarship. Students will automatically be reviewed and awarded the scholarship by Furman.
HOPE Scholarship
The HOPE Scholarship is valued at $2,800 and is nonrenewable. To receive the HOPE Scholarship, students must graduate with a minimum 3.0 GPA on the uniform grading scale. After the initial award year, eligibility may be established for the LIFE Scholarship.
LIFE & Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement
Scholarship Enhancements are awarded to eligible students majoring in approved mathematics and science programs beginning in their second/sophomore year based on their date of initial college enrollment (freshman are not eligible for Enhancement funds). LIFE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and Scholarship Enhancements funds must be used toward the cost-of-attendance at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina.
Test Optional Information
We believe that your potential for success cannot be determined solely by standardized test scores. Therefore, submitting your SAT or ACT scores is optional for admission purposes to the university. However, if you still wish to be considered for eligibility for the LIFE Scholarship based on your SAT or ACT test scores then you must still submit your official SAT or ACT scores to Furman. By submitting test scores for state aid purposes, this will not affect a test optional status for admissions.
South Carolina Residency Information
The South Carolina Tuition Grants Program & SC Commission on Higher Education requires all recipients to certify that they are South Carolina residents to receive these funds. The student (or the person who provided at least half of the student’s support or claimed the student as a federal tax exemption or dependent) must be a South Carolina resident for a period of at least 12 months prior to the start of the term of enrollment. No person is eligible for in-state residency status unless he/she is domiciled within South Carolina for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the term of enrollment or meets a residency exemption under state law. The burden of proof is on the student. This completed form must be signed, and all required documents must be submitted to Furman University prior to the start of the first day of the fall term. Failure to return this form will result in ineligibility for South Carolina state financial aid including the SC Tuition Grant Program, SC HOPE, SC LIFE, and SC Palmetto Fellows Scholarships.
If you are enrolling for the first time at Furman University and qualify for state aid, you must complete the following.
2026-2027 SC Residency Evaluation Form
Also, you must provide legible copies of all four of the following documents for proof of South Carolina Residency for the person who provides at least half of their support or claims them as an exemption on their federal tax return. If you claimed yourself, please list “self” and provide information about yourself:
Documentation:
- Proof of an established and primary domicile in South Carolina (e.g., Mortgage Statements, Mortgage Agreement, Lease Agreement, etc.); and, (Must include the original date the loan/lease was originally recorded).
- Copy of the South Carolina Driver’s License, or if a non-driver, a South Carolina identification card, issued within the 45-day requirement as mandated by State law; and, (For a dependent student, submit a copy of both parent licenses. For an independent student, submit a copy of your license).
- Copy of the South Carolina Vehicle Registration Card for at least one vehicle owned or co-owned, issued within the 45-day requirement as mandated by State Law, or if no vehicle is owned or co-owned, a signed statement declaring no vehicle is owned and registered in any state; and
- Copy of the 2025 South Carolina State Income Tax Return. (If a tax filing extension is submitted, please provide a copy of the tax filing extension. The final copy of the 2025 SC State Income Tax Return must still be submitted for disbursement).
Contact our office if there are any questions regarding these documents. These items may be uploaded your Furman Financial Aid Dashboard. In addition, the student must complete the SC Affidavit annually which is also located on your Furman Financial Aid Dashboard if you are state aid eligible recipient.
SC State Residency Regulations (PDF)