The federal government is the primary source of financial aid for most college students. The state of South Carolina also offers scholarships and grants to state residents. Students must meet the following basic eligibility requirements to be considered for federal and state aid:

• Demonstrate financial need for need-based federal student aid programs
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Enroll or be accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress
• Provide consent and approval to have your federal tax information transferred directly into your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
• Sign the certification statement on the FAFSA form stating that you’re not in default on a federal student loan, you do not owe money on a federal student grant, and you’ll only use federal student aid for educational purposes
• Show you’re qualified to obtain a college or career school education.
• If receiving a LIFE Scholarship, State Need-based Grant, Lottery Tuition Assistance Program, or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, be a resident of South Carolina.

 

Consent

Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA form, a contributor refers to anyone (the student, the student’s spouse, the student’s biological or adoptive parent, or the parent’s spouse) who is required to provide information on the FAFSA form. If a required contributor doesn’t provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred into the student’s FAFSA form, the student will not be eligible for federal student aid—even if they manually enter tax information into the FAFSA form.

 

Citizenship

When a student submits their FAFSA, they will be matched with records at the Social Security Administration (SSA) or, if the student is an eligible non-citizen, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A student must be one of the following to be eligible to receive federal student aid: 

• S. citizen or U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island)
• A citizen of the Freely Associated States (the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau)
• A U.S. permanent resident with a Form 1-551 or I-151 (Permanent Resident Card, Resident Alien Card, or Alien Registration Receipt Card) and other eligible noncitizens, such as asylee or refugee, Cuban/Haitian Entrant, American Indian born in Canada.

If the student’s status cannot be confirmed, they must provide documentation to prove their citizenship status. If required to verify your citizenship status, you will complete a Citizenship Affidavit Form.

Click here to learn more about eligibility for federal aid for non-U.S. Citizens.

 

Confirming Your Citizenship Status 

If the Financial Aid Office needs to verify your citizenship status, the following are acceptable documents:

• A Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N570) 
• A Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N561) 
• A copy of the student’s birth certificate showing that the student was born in the U.S., which includes Puerto Rico (on or after January 13, 1941), Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
• A U.S. passport, current or expired. 
• A wallet-sized passport card, issued by the State Department.
• A copy of Form FS-240 (Consular Report of Birth Abroad), FS545 (Certificate of Birth Issued by a Foreign Service Post), or DS1350 (Certification of Report of Birth). These are State Department documents.