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Financial Aid and Scholarships

Your Responsibilities

The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships awards aid based on need and merit. If you receive aid for which you are ineligible, you should contact our office prior to your use of the funds.

Receipt of Other Financial Assistance

Federal regulations require our office to consider all estimated financial aid in determining your eligibility for federal student aid. It is your responsibility to notify us of any financial aid that you receive from other sources not provided through the FAFSA. If you receive additional assistance after our initial assessment of your award package, your aid may be adjusted. Our office will notify you by email and letter that an adjustment has been made. If further action is needed, this information will be disclosed in the letter.

Other financial assistance includes but is not limited to: university scholarships, non-university scholarship, tuition reductions, assistantships, traineeships, fellowships, grants, and loans. 

Fee Classification

The Office of South Carolina Residency determines if you are an in-state student or an out-of-state student. Sometimes, updates to residency occur based on information provided to their office. Any change in residency can affect your tuition and financial aid. If your residency status updates after we have determined your eligibility for aid, your awards will likely be adjusted to reflect the updated fee assessment. Our office will notify you by email and letter that an adjustment has been made to your awards.

Return of Title IV Funds

Federal financial aid funds are awarded with the expectation that students will complete the entire period of enrollment. Students earn a percentage of the funds that are disbursed with each day of class attendance. Once a student has completed more than 60% of the enrollment period, they are considered to have earned all funding received. When a student who has received federal aid funds (Title IV Funds) leaves school before the end of the semester or period of enrollment, federal regulations require the institution to calculate the percentage and amount of unearned financial aid funds that must be returned. This calculation may have the effect of requiring a student who withdraws before this time frame to repay funds that have already been disbursed to the student or credited towards their current account for tuition, fees, housing and/or meals.

The Title IV calculation is completed when a student has completely dropped or withdrawn from a term after the first day of classes for which the student is scheduled to attend.

For students who completely withdraw from the University of South Carolina, federal aid funds are returned in the following order:

  • Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
  • Subsidized Federal Direct Loan
  • Direct PLUS Loan
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant
  • Teach Grant
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

If there are any undisbursed Title IV funds that remain, UofSC will determine your eligibility to retain the funds. Due to the large number of parts of term for each semester, it will be the student's responsibility to drop, add or change classes within the posted deadlines to avoid charges. Please check the dates and deadlines (W, WF, Refund, Withdrawal) for every class you take.


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