Welcome to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education's resource page for high school counselors! Our goal is to enhance college access by providing resources to support our counselors as they help students on their higher education journey. As a partner for counselors across the state, the CHE Office of Student Affairs is committed to supporting your efforts in shaping the academic and personal growth of students as they pursue their higher education dreams.

CHE FAFSA First Challenge

The CHE is excited to facilitate this friendly statewide competition to encourage schools to support completion of the FAFSA, opening the door to grants, scholarships, and other financial aid opportunities.

The goals of the competition are to Increase the number of South Carolina seniors completing the FAFSA and celebrate schools that go above and beyond in supporting college and career readiness. Schools will be recognized in the following areas:

• Highest Completion Rate – Top percentage of seniors with completed FAFSAs by May 1, 2026, for 1A through 5A school designations.
• Early Bird Award – Highest percentage of FAFSA completion by Feb. 1, 2026, for 1A through 5A school designations.

Key Dates

• Sept. 24, 2025 – FAFSA opens for the 2026–27 academic year — FAFSA is open!
• Feb. 1, 2026 – Early Bird competition deadline
• May 1, 2026 – Final competition deadline
• May 2026 – Winners announced

Winning schools will receive a school recognition award and recognition through statewide announcements and publicity. Early Bird award winners will also receive a plaque for recognition.

To Participate:

1. Designate a FAFSA First Challenge Coordinator at your school.
2. Begin planning FAFSA Nights and outreach campaigns this fall and spring.
3. Use creative strategies i.e., senior prize raffles, and classroom competitions—to engage students and families.
4. Track your progress using the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) dashboard or the link below.

Together, we can make sure every South Carolina student has access to the financial aid they deserve and the future they envision.

How is your school doing? Check out the:

Note: This dashboard is maintained and updated weekly by the SC Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission.

Palmetto Fellows, LIFE scholarships enhancements expanded to education, accounting majors

Sophomore, junior, and senior Palmetto Fellows and LIFE recipients who are education and accounting majors in approved programs at eligible four-year institutions may be eligible to receive additional scholarship enhancements of up to $2,500. Additional information is available on our Scholarships and Grants Page and in the documents below:

• Act 156 Enhancements Guidance for Education and Accounting Majors (PDF)
  • Education programs eligible for scholarship enhancements (PDF)
  • Emergency LIFE Scholarship regulations (PDF)
  • Emergency Palmetto Fellows Scholarship regulations (PDF)

SC CAN GO College Access Events and Campaigns

SC CAN GO, facilitated by the CHE Office of Student Affairs, is a campaign designed to promote a college-going culture for students in our state, and also raise needed college access awareness. Each year, SC CAN GO facilitates access-related events such as College Application Month in the fall, College Goal SC (FAFSA completion) in the winter and spring, and College and Career Decision Day each May.

Visit the SC CAN GO web page to learn more or sign your school up for events.

Important Memos

• CHE Memo - ACT Concordance (PDF)
• CHE Memo - Final 12th Grade Ranking Reports Memo (PDF)
• CHE College Preparatory Course Prerequisite Requirements for Entering College Freshmen (PDF)
• South Carolina Department of Education Memo - Transcripts for South Carolina State Scholarships (PDF)
• CHE Memo to Financial Aid Directors - Final Transcripts (PDF)

FAFSA

2025-26 FAFSA resources from Federal Student Aid:

• Read the“6 Things Students Need Before They Fill Out the FAFSA Form” article to learn what to gather to access and complete the FAFSA form.
• Visit the Pro Tips for the FAFSA Form webpage for key information that will help students fill out their forms and avoid issues.
• Use the FAFSA Help Center to find frequently asked questions, help articles, videos, infographics, webinars, and more.
• Watch the “What Happens After Submitting Your FAFSA Form?” video for information on next steps and communications students should look for while their FAFSA forms are being processed.

Additional resources

• 2025–26 Counselors and Mentors Handbook on Federal Student Aid
• 2025-26 FAFSA: A How-To Guide (National College Attainment Network)
• CHE New FAFSA Toolkit web page for students and families
• New FAFSA Explained Series (YouTube)
  • Student FSA ID Worksheet
  • Parent FSA ID Worsksheet
• CHE New FAFSA Prep Flyer (PDF)
• NCAN Better FAFSA Toolkit
• Discussing FAFSA With Your Students (PDF)
• CHE FAFSA Simplification Fact Sheet
• FAFSA Application Video Series

Guides

• Paying for College
• Apply for College
• South Carolina's Higher Education Institutions (with interactive map)
• Class Rank for Scholarships Regulatory Guides (PDF)
• CHE Transfer Student Success Guide (Reminder: Dual enrollment and AP courses are considered transfer credits!)

State Lottery Scholarship Information and Resources

Note: General information on state scholarships and grants is located on our Scholarships and Grants Page

• Class of 2026 Early Application Tutorial
• ACT Science Optional Update
• Early Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Student Invite (PDF)
• Palmetto Fellows Application Status Report Guide
• Palmetto Fellows 25-26 Application Timeline
• 2026 Palmetto Fellows Student Info Packet (PDF)
• Class Rank Reports Process (PDF)
• Scholarship Regulations
• State Lottery Scholarships and Grants Printable Flyer (PDF)
• Act 156 Enhancements Guidance for Education and Accounting Majors - Fall 2024 (PDF)
  • Education programs eligible for scholarship enhancements (PDF)
  • Emergency LIFE Scholarship regulations (PDF)
  • Emergency Palmetto Fellows Scholarship regulations (PDF)

 

South Carolina College Graduate Earning Trends

• Visit our Post Secondary Employment Outcomes Explorer which shows the one, five and ten-year earning trends of South Carolina graduates by institution and program.

Academic Common Market: In-State Tuition For Out-Of-State Programs Not Available At State Institutions

The Academic Common Market allows South Carolina residents who are enrolled in specific programs at out-of-state institutions to be charged only the applicable in-state tuition by the institution in which the student is enrolled. Eligible programs must be at least 50 percent different in curricular content than programs offered in South Carolina. Participating states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia (Florida and Texas participate only at the graduate level.)

For additional information, visit our Academic Common Market page.

College Process Ambassador Program

Visit the CHE College Process Ambassador Page to see current Ambassadors and learn about the application process.

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