Types of Financial Assistance

Federal Financial Aid

Federal financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Parent PLUS Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, and Federal College Work-Study Program.

Grants (Federal)

• Federal Pell Grant is awarded to undergraduate students who are enrolled in an eligible program, have not received a bachelor’s degree, and who demonstrate financial need. Eligibility is determined based on the Student Aid Index (SAI) as a result of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the cost of attendance and enrollment status.
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is awarded students demonstrating exceptional and determined based on the results of the FAFSA (SAI). Students showing exceptional need will be given first consideration for these grants as long as funds are available.

Grants /Scholarships (South Carolina)

• South Carolina National Guard College Assistance Program (CAP) is for active-duty South Carolina National Guard members, this grant covers up to $5,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and expenses incurred during enrollment in a Limestone degree-seeking program. Recipients must be in good standing with the National Guard and maintain satisfactory academic progress at Limestone. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. A CAP application must be completed by the student and certified by the National Guard before payment is made.
• South Carolina Tuition Grant is awarded to academically eligible South Carolina residents attending Limestone University on a full-time basis during the regular academic year.  The amount of the South Carolina Tuition Grant is determined by the South Carolina Tuition Grant Commission based on the applicant's family's financial circumstances.  Students who fail to enroll full-time during the Fall semester forfeit their eligibility for the entire award year.  Students who do not enroll as stated above forfeit the SC Tuition Grant for the award year.  Eligible students must be enrolled in 12 hours each semester to be eligible to receive the full amount of SC Tuition Grant.   SC Tuition Grant does not give funding for classes taken in Term 3 or Term 4 (summer).  Students receiving 100% of tuition paid by another entity are not eligible for the South Carolina Tuition Grant.  To be eligible to receive SC Tuition Grant funds, students must complete a certification statement ear year before November 15th.
• Legislative Incentives for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship is funded by the State and awarded to academically eligible South Carolina residents who graduated from a South Carolina High School. Students must meet 2 of the 3 following criteria: 1) Cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on the SC Uniform Grading Scale; 2) at least 1100 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or 22 on the American College Test (ACT);  3) Top 30% of their high school graduating class. Test scores will be accepted through the June national test administration of the SAT and ACT during the year of high school graduation. Eligibility requirements for sophomores, juniors, and seniors include a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and have earned 30 semester credit hours during each previous year of college enrollment. Remedial / Developmental courses do not count toward LIFE eligibility. LIFE Scholarship has a four-year window of eligibility. Students can only receive LIFE for four years from their first college enrollment date at any institution. 

LIFE Enhancement is funded by the state and awarded to academically eligible South Carolina residents that enrolled in an approved Math or Science major. Students must be LIFE eligible. Life Enhancement is awarded in the sophomore, junior and senior year contingent on the student enrolling in 14 credit hours of math/science in the freshman year. 

• South Carolina HOPE Scholarship is awarded to South Carolina residents who graduated from a South Carolina High School and have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 but do not meet the requirements for SC Life Scholarship. The HOPE scholarship is only awarded Freshman year. Students can earn LIFE eligibility beginning their Sophomore year by earning a 3.0 LIFE GPA and completing 30 college credits their Freshman year. 
• Palmetto Fellows Scholarship is awarded to South Carolina residents who graduated from a South Carolina high school and who score 1200 on SAT or 25 on the ACT, a 3.5 GPA on the SC uniform grading scale and be in the top 6% of their high school graduating class.                                                                       

Palmetto Fellows Enhancement is funded by the State and awarded to academically eligible South Carolina residents that have enrolled in an approved Math or Science major. Students must be Palmetto Fellows eligible. Palmetto Fellows Enhancement is awarded in the sophomore, junior and senior year contingent on the student enrolling in 14 credit hours of math/science in the freshman year.

Loans

To receive loans, a student must be enrolled at least half-time per semester as defined by their program (typically two courses).

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program is designed to help students and their families meet college cost. These loans are available to students and their parents. The following loans are included in this program.

• Federal Direct Stafford Loans are student loans with repayment deferred until the student separates college or drops below half-time status.
• Federal Direct Plus Loans are loans available to parents of dependent students. 

Additional information for all of the above loans is available online at www.studentaid.gov. Repayment and deferment guidelines are included in the Entrance Loan Counseling.

• Entrance Loan Counseling is required of each student who borrows Federal Direct Stafford Loans. Counseling must be completed before loans are disbursed. Students may access the counseling session at www.studentaid.gov.
• Exit Loan Counseling is required by the Federal Government for all Student loan borrowers. This must be completed at the time of separation from the university or prior to graduation. Graduating students will not receive their diplomas or transcripts until Exit Counseling has been completed. The Exit Counseling interview can be accessed at www.studentaid.gov.
• South Carolina Teacher Loans are available to students who are pursuing a teaching career. It is the responsibility of the students to determine whether they have met all the requirements for this loan (i.e. grade point average, state test scores, and class rank).

The Federal College Work-Study Program

Work-Study is awarded to students demonstrating financial need. Students must perform work to earn this aid. Work-Study allows the students to meet a portion of their financial need by working at assigned tasks supervised by faculty, staff, or administrative personnel. Students will be paid each pay period for hours worked and approved by their supervisor. Timesheets must be turned in on time. Late timesheets will be audited for payment in the next payment period. The Work-Study Programs are only offered to Traditional Day Students.