S.C. Code Regs. § § 62-465

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 62-465 - Student Eligibility

A. To be eligible for a Need-based Grant each academic year, the student must:

1. Be a "needy student" following the financial need analysis as established under Title IV Regulations for determining eligibility for Federal Student Aid. The student must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form;

2. Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident that meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under State Residency Statutes whose lawful presence in the US has been verified at the time of enrollment at the institution;

3. Be a resident of the state of South Carolina for twelve consecutive months as defined in Chapter 112 of Title 59 of the 1976 Code of Laws governing the determination of residency for tuition and fee purposes;

4. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a part-time or full-time degree-seeking student in an eligible program of study at an eligible public institution in South Carolina. A student enrolled in less than six credit hours during one semester may not receive a Need-based Grant for the semester in question but is eligible for reapplication for a grant upon return to part-time or full-time status;

5. Be enrolled and attending or have completed at the time of the grant disbursement in a minimum of six credit hours if part-time for the semester or twelve credit hours if full-time for the semester;

6. Certify that he/she has not been adjudicated delinquent or been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any felonies or any second or subsequent alcohol or drug-related offenses under the laws of this or any other state or under the laws of the United States in order to be eligible for a South Carolina Need-based Grant, except that a high school or college student otherwise qualified who has been adjudicated delinquent or has been convicted or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a second or subsequent alcohol or drug-related misdemeanor offense nevertheless shall be eligible or continue to be eligible for such grants after the expiration of one academic year from the date of the adjudication, conviction, or plea; and be eligible for the need-based grants for a maximum of four academic years of two semesters by submitting a signed affidavit each academic year to the institution. However, a high school or college student who has been adjudicated delinquent, convicted, or pled guilty or nolo contendere of a second or subsequent alcohol/drug related misdemeanor offense is ineligible for the next academic year of enrollment at an eligible institution after the date of the adjudication, conviction or plea. If the adjudication, conviction, or plea occurs during the academic year after the student has already submitted a signed affidavit to the institution, the student will be eligible to receive the Need-based Grant the remainder of the academic year. However, the student will be ineligible for the Need-based Gant the following entire academic year of enrollment. If a student completes a pretrial intervention program and has his/her record expunged the conviction will not affect grant eligibility; and

7. Verify that he/she does not owe a refund or repayment on a State Grant, a Pell Grant, or a Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and is not in default on a loan under the Federal Perkins Loan or Federal Stafford Loan Programs; and

8. Must reapply for the Need-based Grant each academic year and meet all eligibility requirements annually.

9. Students who have previously earned credit hours and are applying for the South Carolina Need-based Grant for the first time must have earned at least a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for graduation purposes at the end of the academic year before being awarded the Grant.

B. Students who meet satisfactory academic progress (see 62-475. D.) may not receive Need-based Grant funding totaling more than $14,000 if the students are seeking their first baccalaureate degree or a program of study that is structured so as not to require a baccalaureate degree and leads to a graduate degree, $7,000 if the students are seeking their first associate's degree, or $3,500 if the students are seeking their first one-year certificate or diploma. Students may only receive Need-based Grant funding for up to three semesters of the academic year. Students who have already been awarded their first baccalaureate degree are not eligible to receive a Need-based Grant.

C. Students enrolled in an eligible program of study as stated in the "Program Definitions" Section may include remedial courses as part of the minimum number of required credit hours for part-time or full-time status, as long as such courses carry credit hours and meet Title IV limitations on remedial coursework.

D. Any false information provided by the student or any attempt to obtain or expend any Need-based Grant for unlawful purposes or any purpose other than in payment or reimbursement for the cost-of-attendance at the institution authorized to award the grant will be cause for immediate cancellation of the Need-based Grant. Any student who has obtained a Need-based Grant through means of a willfully false statement or failure to reveal any material fact, condition, or circumstances affecting eligibility will be subject to applicable civil or criminal penalties, including loss of the Need-based Grant.

S.C. Code Regs. § 62-465

Added by State Register Volume 26, Issue No. 2, eff February 22, 2002. Amended by State Register Volume 27, Issue No. 6, Part 2, eff June 27, 2003; State Register Volume 32, Issue No. 6, eff June 27, 2008; State Register Volume 33, Issue No. 6, eff June 26, 2009; State Register Volume 35, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2011; State Register Volume 46, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/27/2022.