South Carolina LIFE Scholarship requirements are flexible on purpose. At a four-year college, you need two of three: a 3.0 GPA, an 1100 SAT or 22 ACT, or a top-30% class rank. LIFE pays up to $4,700 plus a $300 book allowance a year, and there's no application: your college's financial aid office decides. Keeping it is stricter. You need a 3.0 LIFE GPA, which counts the dual enrollment grades you earned in high school, and an average of 30 credit hours a year.
The rules below are from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education's (CHE) LIFE Scholarship FAQ and its 2026 scholarship workshop materials.
How to qualify: two of three
| Criterion | Requirement | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| GPA | 3.0 cumulative on the SC Uniform Grading Policy | Calculated at graduation, to two decimals, never rounded up |
| Test score | 1100 SAT or 22 ACT | Accepted through the June test of your graduation year; SAT and ACT superscores allowed |
| Class rank | Top 30% of your graduating class | Two decimals, not rounded; based on spring graduates only |
Source: South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, LIFE Scholarship FAQ.
At two-year and technical colleges, a 3.0 GPA alone qualifies. The test and rank requirements are waived.
Superscores count for LIFE too: combine your highest SAT reading-and-writing and math scores from different dates, or base your ACT composite on multiple sittings.
How much LIFE pays
| College type | Annual award |
|---|---|
| Four-year public | Up to the cost of attendance, not to exceed $4,700, plus a $300 book allowance |
| Four-year independent | Up to $4,700 plus a $300 book allowance |
| Two-year public and independent | Up to tuition at USC regional campuses, including a $300 book allowance, not to exceed $5,000 |
| Technical college | Up to tuition, including a $300 book allowance, not to exceed $5,000 |
| LIFE Enhancement (four-year, approved majors) | Up to $2,500 more |
Source: CHE, LIFE Scholarship FAQ. Paid half in fall and half in spring.
The enhancement goes to LIFE recipients in their second, third or fourth year who've declared an approved math, science, education or accounting major. STEM students must have completed at least 14 credit hours of math and life and physical science; AP, IB and dual enrollment courses can count.
Keeping LIFE: 3.0 and 30 credits
To keep LIFE after each academic year (fall, spring and summer), you need:
| Entering | Cumulative LIFE GPA | Credit hours earned |
|---|---|---|
| Second year | 3.0 | 30 |
| Third year | 3.0 | 60 |
| Fourth year | 3.0 | 90 |
Source: CHE, LIFE Scholarship FAQ.
Three details matter:
- Your LIFE GPA includes high school dual enrollment grades, and grades from every college you attend. Only remedial, continuing education and non-degree courses are excluded. For the current year, a state budget provision says no student loses second-year LIFE solely because of a dual enrollment grade.
- AP, IB, dual enrollment and exam credit count toward the credit-hour totals. That's different from Palmetto Fellows, where they don't count toward its 30-hour requirement.
- Summer counts. You can use summer classes to raise your GPA or catch up on hours; check that your college will accept credits earned elsewhere.
Lost it? You can regain it. If you finish a later year with a cumulative 3.0 LIFE GPA and the required total hours (30, 60 or 90), you're eligible again the next year. LIFE covers up to eight terms from your first college enrollment.
HOPE: the fallback
Students at four-year colleges with a 3.0 GPA who don't meet LIFE's two-of-three test can get the SC HOPE Scholarship: up to $2,800, including a $300 book allowance, for the freshman year only. After that year, the LIFE renewal rules above are how you earn LIFE in college.
What this means for you
- Check which two of three you already meet. A 3.0 GPA plus either an 1100 SAT or a top-30% rank is enough.
- Below an 1100? Superscore, and remember tests count through June of senior year.
- Treat dual enrollment grades as college grades. They're in your LIFE GPA from day one.
- Plan 15 credits a term. Thirty a year is the requirement, and AP or dual enrollment credit can give you a cushion.
- Aiming higher? See Palmetto Fellows requirements, worth up to $7,500 a year.