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Presbyterian College · South Carolina

Presbyterian (PC) scholarships and merit aid

PC maps every GPA band — including below 3.0 — to an 'up to' merit award of $22,000-$30,000, layers guaranteed Promise scholarships on top ($30,000/yr for Palmetto Boys/Girls State alums, $24,000/yr minimum for Presbyterians), but enforces a hard direct-cost cap that can claw back institutional and state aid.

Verified Jun 20263 months ago

The short answer

Is Presbyterian (PC) worth a closer look?

Presbyterian (PC) awards automatic merit on admission. Presbyterian (PC) does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Merit tiers81 based on grades or scores
First-year students with school awards21%First-year students, CDS 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Research checkedJun 2026By our research team

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Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Up to $22,000-Up to $30,000…Up to $22,000-Up to $30,000 (by GPA band)

Merit Scholarships (Founders / Highlander / Belk / Tartan / Trustees Award)

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Banded: 4.00 (Founders, up to $30,000); 3.75-3.99 (Highlander, up to $28,000); 3.25-3.74 (Belk, up to $26,000); 3.0-3.24 (Tartan, up to $24,000); <3.0 (Trustees Award, up to $22,000)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Incoming first-year students; 'automatically considered for merit scholarships when you submit your application for admission to PC—no separate application required.'

How to keep it

Merit awards support 'a maximum of eight semesters or until graduation, whichever comes first.' No renewal GPA is published on this page.

Notes

automaticOnStats is false because the page says students are 'automatically considered' (not automatically granted) and every amount is an 'up to' maximum, implying discretion within each band — ask the aid office how the exact figure is set.

Source

Up to $61,170…Up to $61,170 (tuition, fees, standard housing, standard meals, less all other applicable aid)

Griffith Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

By invitation only; two high school seniors selected each year; on-campus competition; exceptional academics, leadership, character. Apply by October 15th to be considered.

How to keep it

Scholarship is renewed for three years. Continued eligibility is contingent upon maintaining a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at PC.

Notes

Fall/spring semesters only (Maymester/summer excluded); does not cover books, premium housing, or personal expenses; amount is 'less all other applicable aid' — other aid is subtracted, not stacked. Amount/coverage 'may be subject to change.'

Source

$30,000 per year…$30,000 per year ($120,000 over four years)

Girls State/Boys State Promise Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Palmetto Girls State / Palmetto Boys State participants. Apply to PC by November 1 to be considered.

How to keep it

Maximum of four years while enrolled at Presbyterian College.

Notes

'The $30,000 per year scholarship is the minimum commitment from Presbyterian College and cannot be combined with other merit scholarships.'

Source

Minimum $24,000 per year…Minimum $24,000 per year ($96,000 commitment)

Presbyterian Promise Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

Members of Presbyterian churches, or students attending Presbyterian/Reformed secondary schools; indicate affiliation on the admission application; new incoming undergraduates.

How to keep it

Up to four years.

Notes

May not be combined with other merit scholarships; if a merit award exceeds $24,000/yr, the student receives the larger award instead. Total aid (federal, state, private included) may not exceed direct costs.

Source

$2,000 per year ($8,000)

Laurens County Promise Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
See who qualifies
Who qualifies

All first-time, new, undergraduate students who are residents of Laurens County (S.C.).

How to keep it

Four-year total of $8,000 implied by the page ($2,000/yr).

Notes

Unlike the other Promise awards, this one 'can be combined with merit scholarships.'

Source

$22,000-$28,000

Transfer Merit Scholarships (Transfer Award / Trustee Award / Scotsman / True Blue) — Fall 2026

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
<2.49 ($22,000); 2.50-3.00 ($24,000); 3.00-3.49 ($26,000); 3.50+ ($28,000)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

All admitted transfer students meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress qualify.

How to keep it

Transfers must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress to qualify; renewal terms beyond SAP not stated.

Notes

Fixed amounts (not 'up to'); page states all admitted transfers meeting SAP qualify, with no application mentioned. Note: the 3.00 boundary appears in two bands as published (2.50–3.00 and 3.00–3.49).

Source

Up to $6,700…Up to $6,700 (freshman year); up to $7,500 (sophomore-senior years)

South Carolina Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (state award)

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
3.5 at end of junior year (state uniform grading scale) + top 6% of class; OR alternate path: 4.0 at end of senior year + 1400 SAT/31 ACT (both required)
SAT
1200 (standard) / 1400 (alternate)
ACT
27 (standard) / 31 (alternate)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

SC residents; additional $2,500 enhancement for eligible math/science majors from sophomore year.

How to keep it

Renewal requires all three: earn 30 credit hours each academic year; maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; enroll full-time each semester.

Notes

Students may receive only ONE of the three SC scholarships (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, or HOPE).

Source

Up to $5,000 per year

SC LIFE Scholarship (state award)

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
3.0 minimum (state uniform grading scale) — one of three criteria; must meet two of three
SAT
1100 (one of three criteria)
ACT
22 (one of three criteria)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
Who qualifies

Top 30% of class is the third criterion; SC residents; $2,500 LIFE Enhancement for eligible math/science majors starting sophomore year.

How to keep it

Enroll full-time each semester; maintain a minimum 3.0 LIFE GPA; earn 30/60/90 cumulative hours entering sophomore/junior/senior year.

Notes

Mutually exclusive with Palmetto Fellows and HOPE. SC HOPE ($2,800, one year, 3.0 GPA) serves freshmen who miss LIFE.

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Presbyterian (PC)'s published information.

  • Renewal ruleSouth Carolina Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (state award): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

    Renewal requires all three: earn 30 credit hours each academic year; maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; enroll full-time each semester. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

  • Aid capHard $67,450 cost-of-attendance ceiling

    Institutional aid at Presbyterian (PC) cannot push the package past $67,450. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What families often miss

  1. Every freshman tier is an 'up to' figure (e.g., Founders 'up to $30,000'), and the page only promises you are 'automatically considered.' The exact award within your GPA band is set by PC — get your actual number in writing before comparing offers.

  2. Both the Boys/Girls State Promise ($30,000/yr) and the Presbyterian Promise ($24,000/yr) 'may not be combined with other merit scholarships.' Only the $2,000/yr Laurens County Promise explicitly combines with merit.

  3. PC's stated policy: 'all gift aid, including private scholarships, cannot exceed the direct cost of attending PC. If your total aid surpasses this amount, institutional and state aid may be adjusted.' Direct costs for 2026-2027 residential students are $62,204 — aid above that line triggers reductions.

  4. The Griffith is 'up to $61,170 ... less all other applicable aid' — other aid is deducted from it. It also excludes books, premium housing, Maymester/summer courses, and requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA to renew for its three renewal years.

  5. Griffith consideration requires applying by October 15; the Service Entrepreneurship and Boys/Girls State Promise awards require applying to PC by November 1 — months before regular decision timelines.

  6. The tuition page warns: 'Financial aid awards only apply to Typical Double Room rates. Students and parents are responsible for paying the difference on other residence halls' (e.g., Upperclassman Apartments at $9,430 vs standard $6,110 for 2026-2027).

  7. Merit awards last 'a maximum of eight semesters or until graduation, whichever comes first.'

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Strong for SC students who can pair state aid with PC's large merit bands, for Palmetto Boys/Girls State alumni (guaranteed $30,000/yr), and for members of Presbyterian churches (guaranteed $24,000/yr minimum) — as long as families understand the awards don't combine.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $67,450 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Presbyterian (PC), what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Presbyterian (PC), academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$18,277
$30,001–$48,000$15,985
$48,001–$75,000$19,366
$75,001–$110,000$19,901
$110,001+$27,032
All income levels (average)$20,528

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$44,910
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$20,528

That works out to roughly a 66% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $60,242 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
51%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
80%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$26,000 (~$276/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$60,194
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
43%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
61%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

PC enforces a direct-cost ceiling on all gift aid: if total aid (including private scholarships) exceeds the direct cost of attending, institutional and state aid 'may be adjusted.' The big Promise awards (Boys/Girls State $30,000, Presbyterian Promise $24,000) cannot be combined with other merit scholarships; the Griffith is awarded 'less all other applicable aid.' Only the small Laurens County Promise ($2,000/yr) and the transfer PTK award ($2,000) explicitly stack.

Private scholarships section: 'all gift aid, including private scholarships, cannot exceed the direct cost of attending PC. If your total aid surpasses this amount, institutional and state aid may be adjusted according to regulations.' Presbyterian Promise: 'The total financial aid award, including federal, state, and private scholarships, may not exceed direct costs.' Griffith: 'up to $61,170 ... less all other applicable aid.'

Source

More school data

From the Presbyterian (PC) Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated figures):

Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Presbyterian (PC)’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
21%of admitsget merit
Average award$18,883Covers ~28% of $67,450 cost of attendance

At Presbyterian (PC), roughly 1 in 5 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $18,883 — about 28% of total cost.

As filed in Presbyterian (PC)'s CDS Section H2A: of 258 first-time, full-time degree-seeking freshmen, 55 had no financial need and received institutional merit (non-need) scholarship or grant aid, averaging $18,883. Across all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates: 189 of 849, averaging $19,104. Athletic awards are excluded per the CDS definition.

The 2024-2025 column is marked "estimated" in the school's own CDS filing — school-projected figures, not final audited counts.

Receive institutional merit21%First-year students, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)
Average merit award$18,883Across recipients, Common Data Set 2024-2025 (school-estimated)

Source: Common Data Set 2024-2025 (verified 2026-07-23)

Other Presbyterian (PC) scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountAmount not published (top winner receives 'a comprehensive scholarship')EligibilityHigh school seniors and transfers who develop a plan to solve a local problem; apply to PC by November 1 to enter.

Renews three years with 3.0 cumulative GPA; fall/spring only; excludes books/premium housing.

Source

Amount$2,000EligibilityAdmitted transfer students who are PTK members; certificate due June 15 (fall) or January 5 (spring).

Explicitly 'on top of any merit-based scholarships.'

Source

AmountFull tuition and fees (or a matched flat amount)EligibilityLaurens County students with 60+ credit hours and 3.0 GPA at PTC; federal AND state aid eligibility (full tuition path) or federal OR state (match path); HS graduation 3 years prior.

Not to exceed two consecutive years; renewal requires SAP and continued aid eligibility.

Source

AmountMinimum $20,000 (transfer merit up to $26,000)EligibilityMTC associate's degree in Applied/Biological/Forensic Psychology with 2.5+ GPA; guaranteed admission; +$2,000 for PTK members.

BS in Psychology completion pathway.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityAudition during designated periods; open to music majors, minors, and non-majors.

Source

AmountAmount not publishedEligibilityNeed-based; Christian female students from the southeast; interview by invitation.

Third-party foundation award.

Source

AmountFull tuition + mandatory fees, $1,200/yr book allowance, $420 monthly stipendEligibilityHigh school seniors/GED recipients entering as freshmen; merit-based.

Two-, three-, and four-year options; room-and-board option in place of tuition for qualifying students.

Source

Presbyterian (PC) merit aid FAQ

  • What are the scholarship deadlines?

    Griffith Scholarship: apply by October 15. Service Entrepreneurship Scholarship and Girls State/Boys State Promise: apply to PC by November 1. Transfer PTK certificates: June 15 for fall, January 5 for spring. The pages do not state the year for each deadline — confirm the exact cycle dates with admissions.

  • Do I need a separate application for merit scholarships?

    No — 'You're automatically considered for merit scholarships when you submit your application for admission to PC—no separate application required.' Note the awards are 'up to' amounts by GPA band.

  • What does PC cost for 2026-2027?

    Residential students: direct costs $62,204 (tuition $44,360, fees $3,200, average housing $7,144, standard meal plan $7,500) plus estimated indirect costs of $5,246, for a total cost of attendance of $67,450. Commuters: $62,270 total COA.

  • Can I combine the Presbyterian Promise with a merit scholarship?

    No. It 'may not be combined with other merit scholarships.' If your merit award exceeds $24,000/yr, you receive the larger merit award instead.

  • Will my outside scholarships reduce my PC aid?

    They can. All gift aid including private scholarships cannot exceed PC's direct costs; aid above that amount results in institutional and state aid being 'adjusted according to regulations.'

See sources and other schools

How Presbyterian (PC) compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Presbyterian (PC) is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Presbyterian (PC) is one of them. The cohort minority (84 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 Presbyterian (PC)’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Presbyterian (PC) merit aid