News

Scholarship expands statewide, making college affordable for top SC students

Published Date: August 13, 2026

Every high-achieving, under-resourced graduating senior in South Carolina soon will have access to an affordable college education because of a unique public-private partnership that expands the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund.

The Meeting Street Scholarship, which is currently available to students in 14 counties through private philanthropy, will now be an option for students in all 46 South Carolina counties with the support of state funding. The $18.7 million recurring investment was approved by the General Assembly and included in Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive budget.

This means nearly 3,000 students in South Carolina’s high school class of 2027 will be able to attend any of the state’s best colleges without taking on significant student loans. An estimated 2,300 of those students will be supported with state funding. 

“This is a transformational moment for South Carolina students statewide who will now have the opportunity to earn a college degree without worrying about cost,” said Ben Navarro, founder of the Meeting Street Scholarship. “We are incredibly grateful to our state leaders and generous donors who’ve made this Scholarship possible for all students, and we are committed to ensuring every eligible high school senior is aware of this Scholarship as they consider their options for college.”

South Carolina’s hard-working, under-resourced students who have earned the merit-based LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and qualified for a Federal Pell Grant still owe an average of $7,870 annually to cover basic college expenses. The Meeting Street Scholarship covers that gap by providing up to $10,000 per year for tuition, housing, meals and fees. 

The Meeting Street Scholarship began with an idea to transform college access in one community. Since launching in 2021 for eligible public high school graduates in Charleston County, it has grown incrementally into a powerful force. 

The Scholarship expanded across 14 counties as more donors invested in making the opportunity available in areas where they had deep connections. 

Remarkable donors statewide have committed more than $87.8 million to 2,219 recipients, 48 percent of whom are first generation college students. Those donors include: Ben and Kelly Navarro; the Darla Moore Foundation; Susu and George Dean Johnson, Jr; Jessica and Todd Aaron; Dave Proctor; the family of Doug Buckminster and other anonymous donors.

“The generosity of our donors has been a catalyst for lasting change,” said Josh Bell, president of Beemok Education, a portfolio of nonprofit education initiatives including the Scholarship, Meeting Street Schools and the Excellence in Teaching Awards. “Because they believed in the potential of South Carolina students, thousands of young people have been able to pursue a college education without the burden of overwhelming debt. Today’s statewide expansion is a testament to what visionary philanthropy can accomplish.” 

The program has achieved meaningful results in pursuit of its audacious goal of changing the status quo for college affordability in South Carolina.

Beemok Education covers all operating costs of the Scholarship; all public and philanthropic funds will go directly to support student scholarships.

This commitment of public funds accomplishes the goal of making the Scholarship available in every county, Bell said. The Scholarship hopes to continue to partner with the state to serve more students, he said.

The Meeting Street Scholarship will continue to be funded by private philanthropy in 14 Legacy counties: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Charleston, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Spartanburg or Williamsburg.

To renew the Scholarship in those counties and continue receiving up to $10,000 annually, students must maintain eligibility for the SC LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, remain Pell eligible, stay enrolled full-time at an eligible college, and complete 250 hours of part-time work during their second and third years of college.

For Expansion counties, the $18.7 million in state funding will make one year of the Scholarship available to high school seniors who graduate in May 2027 and meet the eligibility criteria; it will not be available to current college students in Expansion counties. The criteria are: 

1. Reside in South Carolina
2. Graduate from a South Carolina high school in spring 2027
3. Complete the FAFSA and receive a Federal Pell Grant
4. Earn the South Carolina LIFE or Palmetto Fellows scholarship
5. Enroll in an eligible in-state college

In addition to financial support, the Meeting Street Scholarship offers students additional programming to help them thrive in college and beyond, including community, leadership development and work experience.

Research shows those with a college degree are better positioned for long-term success through higher earnings and greater financial stability. 

Students can check their eligibility for the Scholarship or fill out an interest form to be alerted when applications are available at meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org.

WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS SAID

• “Higher education must remain affordable and accessible for the sons and daughters of South Carolina. By combining private donations with lottery revenue, we can help ensure more students can afford a college education and earn a degree without taking on significant debt. The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund is an example of the power of public-private partnerships and how they can give South Carolina students more opportunities to succeed.”
  • Gov. Henry McMaster

• “Expanding the Meeting Street Scholarship statewide gives thousands of hardworking students an opportunity they’ve earned and strengthens the future of South Carolina. This is an investment worth making, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to secure the support necessary to continue this opportunity for the Class of 2027 and for future classes of South Carolina students.”
  • House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter

• “South Carolina’s continued economic growth depends on developing and retaining talent. This public-private partnership helps more students earn a college degree with less debt while building the skilled workforce our businesses and communities need to thrive. The Meeting Street Scholarship’s expansion will contribute to the continued growth and prosperity of our state.”
  • Senate President Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla

WHAT COLLEGE PRESIDENTS SAID

In recent years, South Carolina colleges where the Scholarship can be used have leveraged it as a recruiting tool. Historic commitments from institutions such as Clemson University and the College of Charleston have helped hundreds of recipients cover all of their eligible expenses.

Other colleges have created programming specifically to support Meeting Street Scholarship recipients, such as the University of South Carolina’s Living Learning Community, which is a designated area where students live on the same floor, engage in common activities and develop a close, family-like community.

College presidents across South Carolina were supportive of the expansion of the Meeting Street Scholarship, saying it would allow more promising students access to the transformative opportunities provided by higher education.

• “Education changes lives, and cost should never stand between a talented, hard-working South Carolina student and a Clemson education. I’m grateful to the public and private partners whose support will expand the Meeting Street Scholarship statewide and open the door for more students. We look forward to welcoming more Meeting Street Scholarship recipients to Clemson and supporting them as they prepare to lead, serve and make a difference across South Carolina.”
  • Benjamin C. Ayers, Ph.D., president of Clemson University
    
    
• “Every college in South Carolina benefits when more talented students are able to enroll, persist and graduate. The Meeting Street Scholarship expands access for deserving students while strengthening the pipeline of future leaders our state needs.”
  • Andrew Hsu, president of the College of Charleston

• “The University of South Carolina has made strategic commitments to expanding access and affordability for all students in our state, including first-generation students and those from low-income households. The Meeting Street Scholarship program, which has already supported hundreds of USC students, will now allow even more South Carolinians to earn their college degrees at the flagship university of our state, and pursue their careers. We are excited to see the growing impact of this newly expanded scholarship across the entire state.”
  • Michael Amiridis, president of the University of South Carolina