Bill > H4741

This bill establishes the Tuition Gap Scholarship Program in South Carolina to provide additional financial support for students receiving existing state scholarships. Specifically, the program will cover the remaining tuition costs for students who are already recipients of LIFE, HOPE, or Palmetto Fellows Scholarships at public in-state higher education institutions. The scholarship amount will be calculated by subtracting the total value of the existing scholarship from the full in-state tuition cost for that semester. The scholarship is strictly limited to tuition expenses and cannot be used for fees, room and board, or books. The Commission on Higher Education will be responsible for administering the program, including developing application procedures, coordinating with institutions to calculate scholarship amounts, and providing annual reports to the General Assembly. Importantly, the program will be funded exclusively through proceeds from the South Carolina Education Lottery, with no general fund appropriations used. The bill will take effect upon gubernatorial approval and will first be applied in the Fall Semester of 2027, providing a clear timeline for implementation of this new scholarship support mechanism.

Budget and Finance

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4741&session=126&summary=B