Education
45 Courtenay Drive
Floor: 3rd
MSC Code: 203
Charleston, SC 29425
Get Directions
Main: 843-792-2536
View Details
University Admissions
Student Financial Aid
Student Financial Literacy
University Registrar
Reporting & Data
Staff Directory
Jump To:
The Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship program administered by the financial aid office at each eligible public and independent institution in South Carolina. The LIFE Scholarship may be used towards the cost-of-attendance for up to eight terms based on the students’ initial college enrollment date. Student’s must be enrolled in their first one-year program, first associate’s degree, first two-year program leading to a baccalaureate degree, first baccalaureate degree, or first professional degree. Students with a baccalaureate degree are ineligible.
For more information, please visit the Scholarships and Grants for SC Residents website.
The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is a merit-based program established in 1988 to recognize the most academically talented high school seniors and encourage these students to attend college in the State. The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program is administered by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Half of the Scholarship is awarded in the fall term and half in the spring term. The Scholarship must be applied directly toward the cost of attendance, less any other gift aid received. Assuming continued eligibility, Palmetto Fellows may receive Scholarship funding for a maximum of eight full‑time terms of study toward their first bachelor’s degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina. Students with a baccalaureate degree are ineligible.
For more information, please visit the Scholarships and Grants for SC Residents website.
Students can receive the LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement of $2500 each year if enrolled in a STEM or Health Professions-related field beginning their second/sophomore year in college (based on initial date of college enrollment). Students may receive Enhancement funding for a maximum of six full-time terms of study toward their first bachelor’s degree at an eligible four-year institution in South Carolina. Students with a baccalaureate degree are ineligible.
Students may refer to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education’s list of Approved Bachelor Programs for Scholarship Enhancements.
If a student drops to less than 12 hours in the summer, your scholarship will be cancelled and you will have to repay funds. Students who are making up scholarship deficiencies during the regular school year (i.e. GPA, number of credit hours) may not receive Life Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship in summer.
Life eligible students receive $2500. Palmetto Fellows eligible students receive $3750. Enhancement students receive an additional $1250. Enhancement funds may not be deferred in summer.
Awards are made after spring grades have posted. Students are responsible for their tuition and fee payments charged to their accounts even if the scholarship eligibility is undetermined. Students should plan accordingly.
Application for Life and Palmetto Fellows
All MUSC institutional scholarships are handled through the individual colleges, not the Office of Student Financial Aid. The selection of recipients and amount of each scholarship is determined by each college. The scholarship application process is handled through SOARS (Scholarship Opportunity Awards Resource System). SOARS is MUSC’s centralized online award management system available to students from all six colleges. Current students can view available scholarships for which they are eligible, complete a general and college-specific application that automatically applies them to scholarships, and view and accept scholarship offers. The SOARS portal can be accessed at https://musc.academicworks.com/. The application cycle dates for each college are posted on the portal. Most scholarships are college-specific and are not applicable to all students.
Contact your respective college for more information on scholarships available to you.
College of Dental Medicine
College of Graduate Studies
College of Health Professions
College of Medicine
College of Nursing
College of Pharmacy
Contractual scholarships provide funding to assist students with meeting their educational expenses. In exchange for the scholarship, the student agrees to specified terms/conditions. Contractual scholarships can be found in SOARS at https://musc.academicworks.com/. Hover over Opportunities in the top left and select External. Then go to Show Filters and select ‘External-Contractual’ under College.
Outside scholarships are a valuable way to help fund your education at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Whether the award comes from a community organization, your employer, or a private foundation, it’s essential to report it to the Student Financial Aid Office to avoid delays or reductions in your aid.
________________________________________
An outside or private scholarship is any scholarship awarded by an organization other than the government or MUSC. This could include:
________________________________________
Getting an outside scholarship does not mean you’ll pay more out of pocket—it simply shifts the sources of your financial aid. Scholarship funds can reduce the amount of loans or work-study you might otherwise need. However, federal regulations require MUSC to include all sources of assistance in your financial aid package.
If your combined aid—including federal and MUSC aid, and outside scholarships—exceeds your calculated need or the cost of attendance, MUSC must reduce your federal student aid to stay within the limit. This is known as an overaward.
An overaward happens when the total financial aid you receive is more than the allowable amount based on your financial need or cost of attendance. In this case, MUSC is required by law to adjust your financial aid—usually by reducing loans or other aid. If you’ve already received more aid than allowed, you may be required to repay the excess.
To avoid this situation, always report outside scholarships early.
________________________________________
You are responsible for notifying the MUSC Financial Aid Office about any outside scholarship or funding source you receive.
Email: finaid@musc.edu
Include the following in your message:
________________________________________
All outside scholarship checks should be sent directly to:
MUSC Bursar’s Office – Scholarships
1 South Park Circle Building 1, Suite 402
Charleston, SC 29407
________________________________________
If a check is made co-payable to you and MUSC, you must endorse the check before it can be processed. Once endorsed, mail it to the Bursar’s Office at the address above.
________________________________________
If a check is made solely payable to you, it is still your responsibility to report the amount to the Office of Student Financial Aid at finaid@musc.edu. Failing to report this may result in an overaward and could require you to repay funds.
________________________________________
If you’re unsure about how an outside scholarship might affect your aid, or if you have questions about the reporting process, contact: finaid@musc.edu
General MUSC Line 843-792-2300