South Carolina public liberal-arts university offering four tiers of automatic freshman merit scholarships (up to $6,000/yr in-state) plus SC state awards (LIFE, Palmetto Fellows) and dozens of departmental scholarships requiring a separate application.
Verified Jun 20268 days ago· COWORK
Merit tiers188 automatic on stats
Last verifiedJun 2026Analyst COWORK
Rules that bite at Lander
The trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook. Each is derived from Lander's own published policy, not generic advice.
renewalAlumni Heritage Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for up to seven additional semesters (eight semesters total). Must maintain full-time status and be in good standing with the university. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.
capHard $26,355 cost-of-attendance ceiling
Institutional aid at Lander cannot push the package past $26,355. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.
Common merit-aid mistakes at Lander
The scholarships page labels the freshman merit grid '2025-2026 Requirements' as of the June 2026 retrieval date. The 2026-2027 amounts may not have been updated yet. Verify current-year amounts directly with the Lander Financial Aid Office before quoting them.
Freshmen are automatically considered if they apply for admission by May 1 of their senior year — no separate scholarship application is needed for the four named tiers (President's, Trustee's, Provost's, Dean's). However, departmental scholarships and named scholarships (Alumni Heritage, PTK, etc.) require separate applications.
All four freshman merit tiers require a 3.5 weighted GPA. Students with only an unweighted GPA must have at least a 3.0 unweighted. A 3.0 unweighted student still must meet the ACT/SAT threshold for whatever tier they qualify for, but the 3.5 weighted GPA requirement gates all four tiers.
Lander's official policy explicitly states 'Departmental scholarships may reduce other Lander institutional aid.' Winning a departmental award does not necessarily add to a student's total — it may replace part of another Lander institutional award.
Lander requires students to report any outside scholarship. Failure to do so can result in a total-aid-over-COA violation, since the university caps total aid at the cost of attendance.
The Honors College page lists no dedicated scholarship dollar amount. Honors College membership offers perks (priority registration, housing preference, study-abroad supplemental funding through the Global Scholars Program) but no separate named merit dollar award is documented on the Honors College page.
Palmetto Fellows recipients are selected by the SC Commission on Higher Education, not Lander. Students must apply directly to CHE by the December deadline of their senior year. LIFE is automatically assessed at enrollment using SC admissions data.
Lander's page explicitly states that for Palmetto Fellows renewal, 'Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment credits do NOT count' toward the required 30 credit hours per academic year at Lander.
The HOPE Scholarship is explicitly 'not renewable' — it is $2,800 for the first year only. Students who earn a 3.0 GPA and 30 hours in the freshman year may then become eligible for LIFE in year two.
All institutional scholarships require full-time enrollment at Lander. Students enrolled less than full-time in a semester do not receive their scholarship for that semester, and missed semesters are not extended to the end of their academic career.
Lander's policy states 'Scholarships are awarded for up to, but never exceeding, four years from the initial term of college enrollment.' Late or interrupted enrollment does not extend the four-year window.
Students who have accepted Graduate Assistantship positions are explicitly not eligible for Lander graduate scholarships. Additionally, individuals may receive only one Lander graduate scholarship.
Who this school is for
South Carolina residents and out-of-state freshmen who want a clear automatic merit-aid grid with no separate scholarship application; transfer students with 2.7+ GPA; PTK honor-society members; and students in specific majors seeking departmental awards through AcademicWorks.
Tuition / cost of attendance: Approximately $26,355 for 2026-2027. On/Off-Campus SC resident total: Tuition $10,700 + Fees $1,000 + Housing $7,300 + Food $5,700 + Books $1,200 + Avg Course Fees $85 + Avg Loan Fees $70 + Computer $600 (first-year only) = $26,655 with computer; recurring annual on/off-campus SC = $26,055 (no computer). Non-resident adds $9,600. With Parent SC: $10,700+$1,000+$3,100+$4,500+$1,200+$85+$70+$600=$21,255 first year. Graduate in-state: $6,540+$7,300+$5,700+$600+$160=$20,300. Values below use SC resident on/off-campus excluding first-year-only computer allowance for a recurring full COA figure. Source
Institutional merit aid tiers
Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.
Where you landAutomatic merit aid by ACT compositeEach bar marks the ACT score range that qualifies for the tier.
President's Award — In-State$6,000/yr
ACT 30–36SAT 1360+ · GPA 3.5 weighted (or 3.0 unweighted if only unweighted GPA available)
President's Award — Out-of-State$4,000/yr
ACT 30–36SAT 1360+ · GPA 3.5 weighted
Trustee's Award — In-State$4,500/yr
ACT 26–29SAT 1230–1350 · GPA 3.5 weighted
Trustee's Award — Out-of-State$3,000/yr
ACT 26–29SAT 1230–1350 · GPA 3.5 weighted
Provost's Award — In-State$3,000/yr
ACT 22–25SAT 1100–1220 · GPA 3.5 weighted
Provost's Award — Out-of-State$2,000/yr
ACT 22–25SAT 1100–1220 · GPA 3.5 weighted
Dean's Award — In-State$1,000/yr
ACT 20–21SAT 1030–1090 · GPA 3.5 weighted
Dean's Award — Out-of-State$500/yr
ACT 20–21SAT 1030–1090 · GPA 3.5 weighted
2024283236
Not on this ladder:Transfer Scholarship — 3.0+ GPA, Transfer Scholarship — 2.7–2.99 GPA, Alumni Heritage Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Transfer Scholarship, LIFE Scholarship (SC State Portable Award), LIFE Scholarship Enhancement — STEM or Education, HOPE Scholarship (SC State Portable Award), Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (SC State Portable Award), Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement — STEM or Education, Teaching Fellows Program (SC State Portable Award) — application required, holistic, or scored on a different axis.
View as table
Tier
ACT composite
Award
President's Award — In-State
30–36
$6,000/year
President's Award — Out-of-State
30–36
$4,000/year + $8,000 abatement
Trustee's Award — In-State
26–29
$4,500/year
Trustee's Award — Out-of-State
26–29
$3,000/year + $8,000 abatement
Provost's Award — In-State
22–25
$3,000/year
Provost's Award — Out-of-State
22–25
$2,000/year + $6,000 abatement
Dean's Award — In-State
20–21
$1,000/year
Dean's Award — Out-of-State
20–21
$500/year + $4,000 abatement
$6,000/year
President's Award — In-State
AutomaticRenewable
GPA
3.5 weighted (or 3.0 unweighted if only unweighted GPA available)
SAT
1360+
ACT
30–36
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Apply by May 1 of senior year; SC resident
Renewal terms
Must maintain cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete 24 semester hours per academic year (excluding summer). Scholarship renewable for up to four years from initial enrollment. Automatic renewal if standards met; appeal available if not.
Notes
Grid is labeled '2025-2026 Requirements' on the page as of 2026-06-04 — stale-risk flag; confirm 2026-2027 amounts with aid office. Out-of-state version is separate tier.
Must maintain cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete 24 semester hours per academic year. Renewable up to four years.
Notes
Abatement reduces non-resident fees. Grid labeled '2025-2026 Requirements' — stale-risk flag. Total effective value not broken down further on the page.
At least 12 post-high school credit hours earned, no more than 90 attempted; must have earned at least 67% of attempted hours; must enroll full-time at Lander
Notes
A limited number of scholarships available. Automatic consideration not stated — may require admission inquiry.
$500/semester…$500/semester ($1,000/year; $4,000 total over 4 years)
Alumni Heritage Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Child or grandchild (biological or adopted) of a Lander alumnus/alumna. Must complete the Alumni Heritage Scholarship Application. Must submit enrollment/housing forms and deposits by August 1.
Renewal terms
Renewable for up to seven additional semesters (eight semesters total). Must maintain full-time status and be in good standing with the university.
Notes
Separate application required. Available to first-time freshmen or entering transfer students.
$1,000/year…$1,000/year (stacks with Transfer Scholarship: combined $3,000/year)
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Transfer Scholarship
ApplicationRenewable
View requirements+
Eligibility
Active PTK member transferring into Lander with at least 12 post-high school credit hours. Submit copy of active PTK membership card to Office of Financial Aid.
Renewal terms
Renewable by remaining in good standing with the University.
Notes
The page states: 'All PTK scholarship recipients also qualify for the highest Lander Transfer scholarship ($2,000/year). Thus these students will receive scholarships totaling $3,000/year.' PTK must stack with Transfer Scholarship per official language.
$2,500 additional…$2,500 additional (total $7,500/year with LIFE)
LIFE Scholarship Enhancement — STEM or Education
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
3.0 (LIFE renewal standard)
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
Must be LIFE Scholarship recipient; enrolled full-time in CHE-approved program; STEM or Education track as described
Renewal terms
Must meet LIFE renewal criteria (30 hrs/yr, 3.0 GPA). Available beginning sophomore year, renewable up to two additional years. STEM: must earn 14 credit hours of approved STEM coursework before start of second year. Education: must sign service commitment to SC public schools.
Notes
Page states '$5,000 Life Scholarship + $2,500 Enhancement'.
Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (SC State Portable Award)
ApplicationRenewable
GPA
Minimum 3.50 high school GPA
SAT
1,200
ACT
25
Requirements & details+
Eligibility
SC resident; top 6% of HS class (end of sophomore or junior year); apply by December deadline of senior year via SC Commission on Higher Education; selected by CHE
Renewal terms
Must have 3.0 Lander GPA (transfer courses do NOT impact LU GPA) and 30 credit hours EACH academic year. AP and Dual Enrollment credits do NOT count toward the 30-hr requirement at Lander for renewal purposes. Transfer hours may count toward 30-hr requirement even if not affecting GPA.
Notes
Recipients selected by SC Commission on Higher Education, not Lander. Lander's page documents the renewal rules as they apply at Lander specifically.
Total aid (scholarships + grants + loans + other awards) may never exceed the total Cost of Attendance. Departmental scholarships explicitly may reduce other Lander institutional aid. Students must report outside/private scholarships to the Financial Aid Office. No explicit COA-displacement rule favoring loans or grants over merit is published; the cap is COA. The PTK scholarship explicitly stacks with the highest transfer scholarship ($3,000 combined).
Institutional Scholarship Eligibility Policy states: 'Students may never receive any combination of scholarships, financial aid, and other awards that exceeds the total cost of attendance for the academic year.' Departmental scholarships may reduce other Lander institutional aid. Outside scholarship recipients must report awards. The policy does not specify whether loans are displaced before grants or vice versa when COA is approached — that interaction is not published on official pages. Graduate students: 'Individuals may receive only one Lander graduate scholarship. Students who have accepted Graduate Assistantship positions are not eligible for Lander graduate scholarships.'
Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.
AmountUp to $1,000EligibilityFull-time (6 hrs) graduate students; need-based. Limited number available.
Renewable for one additional year. Application must be submitted one month before start of semester. Only one Lander graduate scholarship per student. Not available to graduate assistants.
AmountFull cost of tuition for final two courses of second master's degreeEligibilityStudents who have already earned a first master's degree from Lander and are pursuing a second master's at Lander. Must be in good standing with no financial holds.
Application required before start of final two courses (not at program start).
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityArt majors at Lander; portfolio submission by March 10 deadline. Reviewed by scholarship committee. Includes Fine Arts Scholarship, Carol Brown Scholarship, Marie Chisholm Scholarship, Barbara Kinard Cornett Art Scholarship.
Departmental; requires portfolio submission. May reduce other Lander institutional aid. Apply through lander.academicworks.com.
AmountAmount not published (individual award amounts not listed)EligibilityProspective music majors, minors, and ensemble participants must audition before music faculty. Demonstrates performing ability, music theory knowledge, and music potential. Submit Lander music scholarship application and audition registration form with letter of recommendation from a music professional.
Multiple named scholarships (Arrington-Rhodes, Eula Caudle Bracknell, Paul D. Criswell, etc.). Some renewable provided 3.0 GPA maintained. Apply through lander.academicworks.com.
AmountAmount not published on Lander pageEligibilityGreenwood County students in junior and senior year of a bachelor's degree program in select majors. Must be LIFE Scholarship eligible.
External/local scholarship listed as 'outside' on Lander's page. See greenwoodpromise.com. Students must report to Lander Financial Aid Office.
AmountAmount not specified on Lander pageEligibilitySC residents attending SC college; current high school seniors entering first year of college; 3.0 GPA; at least 1100 SAT; family income under $60,000. Deadline April 1.
Application can be requested from Lander University Financial Aid Office.
AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityFreshmen and upper-class students enrolled in a science degree program; minimum 3.5 GPA in science courses AND minimum 3.5 overall GPA. Selected by vote of Biology and Physical Sciences faculty.
Not described as requiring a separate application — faculty vote process. Awarded annually.
AmountAmount not published (four-year scholarship)EligibilityEntering freshmen majoring in Environmental Science; minimum SAT 1000 (ACT 21); rising high school seniors; college preparatory or AP preferred. Reviewed by Environmental Science Steering Committee and King estate trustees.
Renewable up to three additional years provided 3.0 GPA maintained as Environmental Science major. Established 1998.
What is the application deadline for freshman merit scholarships at Lander?
Qualifying high school seniors who apply for admission by May 1 of their senior year are automatically considered — no separate scholarship application is needed.
What GPA must I maintain to keep my Lander merit scholarship?
The general renewal standard is a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and completion of 24 semester hours per academic year (excluding summer), unless the individual scholarship terms state otherwise.
Do I need a separate application for departmental scholarships?
Yes. Departmental scholarships require an application through lander.academicworks.com. Applications open November 1 for continuing students and October 1 for new students.
Can I receive both a Lander merit scholarship and a SC LIFE or Palmetto Fellows award?
Lander's policy caps total aid at the cost of attendance but does not explicitly prohibit stacking institutional and state awards — however, the combination may not exceed COA. Confirm the specific interaction with the Financial Aid Office.
Does the Honors College provide an additional merit scholarship?
No dollar amount is listed on the Honors College page. Honors members may access supplemental study-abroad funding through the Global Scholars Program, but no named Honors scholarship amount is published.
What is the 2026-2027 Cost of Attendance for an in-state undergraduate living on or off campus?
Per the 2026-2027 table on the Tuition & Financial Aid page: Tuition $10,700 + Fees $1,000 + Housing $7,300 + Food $5,700 + Books & Supplies $1,200 + Avg Course Fees $85 + Avg Loan Fees $70 = $26,055 per academic year (computer allowance of $600 added for first-year students only).
When will the 2026-2027 freshman scholarship requirements grid be published?
As of June 4, 2026, the page still shows '2025-2026 Requirements.' Contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@lander.edu or 864-388-8340 to confirm 2026-2027 amounts.
How Lander compares across our verified dataset
160 of 751 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.
Lander is in a recognizable cluster (160 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Lander is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against Lander’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
