LIFE Scholarship 2023 | Application Form, Amount, Eligibility Criteria, Easy Way To Apply

What You Need To Know About The Life Scholarship

Getting a scholarship as an undergraduate might be a difficult task due to its competitive nature and many applicants. This is true for all kinds of scholarships, and special techniques need to be followed while applying for these scholarships. 

One of these is the LIFE scholarship which we will be talking about in this article. If you are looking to have comprehensive knowledge about the LIFE scholarship, then here is the right place to get it. When you read this article, you will understand everything you need to know about the LIFE scholarship.

The full meaning of the LIFE scholarship is The Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence Scholarship. It is a scholarship fund awarded by the office of financial aid in each public institution in South Carolina. It is usually awarded based on merit and is for undergraduate students of public or independent institutions.

The LIFE scholarship is exclusive for only undergraduate students and students with a bachelor’s degree are ineligible. The scholarship amount is up to a maximum of $5000, usually split between fall and spring terms. The scholarship amount covers the cost of attendance.

The LIFE scholarship has a specific GPA called the LIFE GPA, upon which students’ eligibility for the scholarship is dependent. The LIFE GPA is calculated from grades earned during the regular academic year. It does not include continuing education and non-degree courses. At the beginning of each academic year, students from all institutions under the LIFE scholarship program are expected to send their transcripts to their institution.

The LIFE scholarship awards provide funding between the range of $5,000 to $7500. Students who are beneficiaries can get the scholarship for up to four years, starting from first enrollment in school. As long as you qualify, renewal requirements are met.

Life Scholarship

General Requirements for the Scholarship

The following are a list of criteria you must meet to be eligible for the LIFE scholarship program:

1) You must be a legal resident of South Carolina

2) You must be a US citizen from any of the 50 states of the United States of America or must be a permanent resident

3) You must be a full-time undergraduate student of a degree program in an accredited higher institution

4) You must be a graduate of a high school in South Carolina, or you must have a guardian that was a legal resident of South Carolina when you graduated.

5) You must not be convicted of any drug and alcohol-related issue.

6) You must not be a recipient of the hope or palmetto scholarship

7) You must not be convicted of any act of felony in any state

8) You must not be a defaulter or owe any federal or state financial aid

Scholarship Requirements for Freshmen

There are additional requirements for applicants who are freshmen. These requirements are

1) You must fully meet the general eligibility requirements

2) You must meet any two of the three requirements below

• A grade point average of 3.0 in high school based on the uniform grading scale
• A sat score of at least 1100 or an ACT score of 24
• You must be a graduate in the top 30 percent of your class in high school

 Requirements for Transfer Students

1) You must fully meet the general eligibility requirements

2) Consideration for the LIFE scholarship in your first year at the University of South Carolina will be based on your cumulative grade point average at your previous institution.

Requirements for Continuing Students

1. You must fully meet the general eligibility requirements
2. You must complete additional renewal requirements, which include your Grade point average. You should earn a minimum of 3.0-grade point average on a 4.0 scale at the end of the academic session.
3. You must earn the required number of credit hours per academic year. You are expected to have a total of 30 hours for a second-year student and 60 hours for a third-year student. Fourth-year students are expected to have up to 90 hours.

LIFE Scholarship Enhancement Program

Another category of scholarship under LIFE is the LIFE scholarship enhancement. This scholarship program is for qualified students that have a significant interest in any of the STEM-related fields. 

You must complete the requirements needed to qualify for the life scholarship enhancement during your first university year, otherwise known as freshman year. The life scholarship enhancement was initiated in 2007 to empower students majoring in an approved science and math discipline by increasing the scholarship amount.

Eligibility Requirements for the Scholarship Enhancement

1) You must be a current recipient of the LIFE scholarship

2) You must be a sophomore, junior or senior in the university and must have completed at least two semesters.

3) During your first year, you must complete a total of at least 14 hours in mathematics, life, and physical science courses during your first year of enrollment. The first year of enrolment includes both spring, fall, and summer terms. Below is a list of courses that can be used to meet the 14-hour requirement:

• Dual enrollment courses
• International baccalaureate degree courses with a score of four or higher
• College-level examination program
• Pass/Fail courses with a “pass” grade only
• Exempted credit hours that have been recorded on the transcript by your institution

4) Your 14 credit hours can be any of the mathematics and life or physical science course. It can also be a combination of both.

Note: 

• Recipients of the LIFE scholarship who have met the minimum requirements of 30 hours and have earned up to 14 hours of mathematics and science credit as first-year students will be eligible to receive the $7500 per year.
• Recipients of the LIFE scholarship who have up to 30 hours and do not meet the credit hour requirement for mathematics and science courses will receive an award of up to $5000

CO-OPS

You would not be able to receive the LIFE scholarship or LIFE scholarship enhancement fund if you participated in a university-sponsored co-op program during the fall or spring semester. 

However, you can receive the scholarship during the summer semester, which is immediately after the co-op program, and you must have at least 12 hours total in the summer semester.

To be eligible for the scholarship the following year, you will have to complete 15 hours and maintain a LIFE grade point average of 3.0. This is applicable if you did not receive the scholarship for the summer in the previous year.

Summer School

The summer school procedure is necessary if you intend to graduate before finishing eight semesters. To receive the scholarship award during the summer semester, you must meet all the LIFE scholarship renewal program requirements at the end of the spring semester, including enrolling in 12 hours during the summer semesters and graduating before completing eight semesters.

Note: You are allowed to use summer school credits obtained in other institutions recognized and accepted by the University of South Carolina. Your grade point average must also be based on the minimum life criteria for grade point average.

If you receive the scholarship for the summer, then you are required to complete 27 hours and also maintain the minimum grade point average of 3.0

Life Scholarship the-university-of-south-carolina

Renewal Requirements for the Scholarship

There are specific requirements in addition to the general conditions that are needed to maintain the scholarship award.

1) For each academic session, you must have up to 30 credit hours. This means that as a sophomore, you must have a minimum of 30 credit hours, 60 credit hours as a junior or third-year student, and 90 credit hours as a senior or fourth-year student.

2) For mid-year enrollment, you must have up to 15 credit hours at the start of the next academic year. You are also expected to maintain an average of 30 credit hours for each academic session. Your total credit hour for the first year should be 45, the entire credit hour for the second year should be 75, and the whole credit hour for the third year should be 105.

On Grade Point Average:

1) A minimum of 3.0 LIFE grade point average on a 4.0 point scale is required at the end of each academic year.

2) The grade point average used for the LIFE scholarship program is the LIFE grade point average