July 15, 2022
When The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund began, we wanted an easy application process to determine a student’s academic qualifications and financial needs. We decided the most straightforward route was to offer scholarships to students who qualified for the FAFSA Pell Grant and earned a LIFE Scholarship. Today, every public high school student in Charleston County and the Pee Dee region who earned the LIFE Scholarship, received a Pell Grant, and will enroll in an eligible university is qualified to receive the Meeting Street Scholarship to put up to $40,000 toward qualified college costs.
The LIFE Scholarship is awarded to students who showcase academic excellence in high school and college. The scholarship is given to students who enroll full-time in an eligible four-year South Carolina university. High school students must meet two of the following three criteria:
College students need to earn 30 credit hours per academic year and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA to retain their scholarship.
There is no application process to receive a LIFE Scholarship. The South Carolina college or university will determine a student’s eligibility and notify them if they qualify for up to $5,000 per year in scholarships to go towards tuition costs.
More information and requirements about the LIFE Scholarship can be found here: https://www.che.sc.gov/CHE_Docs/studentservices/life/FAQ-LIFE-3_2021.pdf.
A Pell Grant is a needs-based grant a student can receive when submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students must resubmit a FAFSA form annually to ensure their eligibility for federal financial aid.
To apply for the Pell Grant, the FAFSA form requires information including social security numbers, tax returns, W2, and a few other items. Applications are available online, on the MyStudentAid app, or using a paper application. The FAFSA website is a great resource to answer additional questions that arise as students apply for the Pell Grant. To apply or to learn more information about FAFSA, visit: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund wants to help pave the way for high-performing students to attend a top South Carolina college and graduate with less debt and have a financially successful future. With no limit on the number of students who can receive the scholarship, every student who qualifies will receive a Meeting Street Scholarship to put towards their college tuition to pursue their American drea
