Nearly 300 Greenville County high school seniors are expected to earn an estimated $2.1 million for college from the Meeting Street Scholarship as it expands statewide.
Beginning with the Class of 2027, eligible Greenville County graduates can receive up to $10,000 toward tuition, housing, food and fees at one of 16 in-state colleges. Meeting Street Scholarship Fund leaders, alongside Greenville County Schools officials and lawmakers, highlighted the Scholarship’s expansion at a morning press conference on Wednesday.
“For our students, this removes a significant barrier to a college education that may otherwise have felt financially out of reach,” said Dr. Burke Royster, superintendent of Greenville County schools. “Our students work incredibly hard to prepare for college, and the Meeting Street Scholarship helps ensure cost does not stand in the way of what they have earned. We appreciate our students and their families having access to this new state-supported scholarship.”
The expansion is possible through a public-private partnership. Previously, the Scholarship has been available to students in 14 counties through private philanthropy. The South Carolina General Assembly approved $ 18.7 million in recurring funding in this year’s budget to make the Scholarship available to all 46 counties. Nearly 3,000 students in South Carolina’s high school class of 2027 are expected to benefit from the Scholarship.
“One of the best investments we can make is in our most promising students,” said Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, who supported the funding that made the Scholarship expansion possible. “Our continued economic success depends in part on developing a strong, skilled workforce. This partnership leverages public and private resources to help more students earn a degree with less debt and ultimately benefits businesses and communities in Greenville and across the state.”
To qualify for the Scholarship, students must:
Reside in South Carolina
Graduate from a South Carolina high school in spring 2027
Complete the FAFSA and receive a Federal Pell Grant
Earn the South Carolina LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship; and
Enroll full-time at an eligible South Carolina college.
Eligible colleges must have a three-year average graduation rate of at least 50 percent.
Applications for the Scholarship for the 2027-28 school year are expected to launch in November. Students and families can learn more, check eligibility and fill out an interest form now to receive application updates at meetingstreetscholarshipfund.org.
