Meeting Street Scholarship now accepting applications

January 7, 2026

Charleston, S.C. – South Carolina’s high-achieving students with a demonstrated financial need now can apply for up to $10,000 annually to help cover their college tuition, housing, food and fees. 

The Charleston-based Meeting Street Scholarship Fund awards every eligible applicant with money for college, and there’s no limit to the number of students who can earn the award. The Scholarship is one of only a handful of privately funded college promise programs in the country that guarantees Scholarships to students who meet objective criteria.

“Education empowers students and gives them the tools to follow their dreams,” said John Huber-MacNealy, managing director of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund. “This Scholarship enables hard-working students to attend our state’s best colleges without taking on burdensome student loans.”

The Meeting Street Scholarship has changed hundreds of South Carolina students’ lives by making college affordable. Since its inception in 2021, the Scholarship has committed a total of $62 million to 1,567 students. Of those recipients, 88 percent are in college or have graduated, and 48 percent are first generation college students.

The Meeting Street Scholarship was founded by philanthropists Ben and Kelly Navarro. With the support of visionary partners, the Scholarship now is available in 14 South Carolina counties, including Charleston, with the goal of expanding to all 46.

“Students who have worked hard in high school and earned excellent grades deserve the opportunity to attend an outstanding four-year college and develop into our state’s next generation of leaders.” Huber-MacNealy said. “This Scholarship helps make that possible.”

To be eligible for a Scholarship, students must:

• Live in one of 14 eligible counties (Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Charleston, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Spartanburg, Williamsburg)
• Graduate from a public school
• Receive a SC LIFE or Palmetto Fellows scholarship
• Receive a Federal Pell Grant
• Plan to attend one of 16 eligible South Carolina colleges

Applications are being accepted for the 2026-27 school through May at meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org. High school seniors will need an unofficial high school transcript with their first semester grades and a FAFSA Submission Summary. 

The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund will notify applicants within two weeks of submission whether they’re eligible for an award.

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