Presbyterian (PC) awards automatic merit on admission. Presbyterian (PC) does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.
Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
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)
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for Merit Scholarships (Founders / Highlander / Belk / Tartan / Trustees Award)
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.
Worth knowing
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.
Griffith ScholarshipUp to $61,170 (tuition, fees, standard housing, standard meals, less all other applicable aid)Not automaticRenewable
Published awardOther selection criteria
Griffith Scholarship
Up to $61,170 (tuition, fees, standard housing, standard meals, less all other applicable aid)
Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
Start with the award’s published eligibility.
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for Griffith Scholarship
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.
Worth knowing
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.'
Girls State/Boys State Promise Scholarship$30,000 per year ($120,000 over four years)Not automaticRenewable
Published awardOther selection criteria
Girls State/Boys State Promise Scholarship
$30,000 per year ($120,000 over four years)
Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
Start with the award’s published eligibility.
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for Girls State/Boys State Promise Scholarship
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.
Worth knowing
'The $30,000 per year scholarship is the minimum commitment from Presbyterian College and cannot be combined with other merit scholarships.'
Presbyterian Promise ScholarshipMinimum $24,000 per year ($96,000 commitment)Not automaticRenewable
Published awardOther selection criteria
Presbyterian Promise Scholarship
Minimum $24,000 per year ($96,000 commitment)
Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
Start with the award’s published eligibility.
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for Presbyterian Promise Scholarship
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.
Worth knowing
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.
Laurens County Promise Scholarship$2,000 per year ($8,000)Not automaticRenewable
Published awardOther selection criteria
Laurens County Promise Scholarship
$2,000 per year ($8,000)
Published award termsNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
Start with the award’s published eligibility.
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for Laurens County Promise Scholarship
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).
Worth knowing
Unlike the other Promise awards, this one 'can be combined with merit scholarships.'
Transfer Merit Scholarships (Transfer Award / Trustee Award / Scotsman / True Blue) — Fall 2026$22,000-$28,000AutomaticRenewable
Published awardAcademic thresholds
Transfer Merit Scholarships (Transfer Award / Trustee Award / Scotsman / True Blue) — Fall 2026
$22,000-$28,000
Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.
Open award details for Transfer Merit Scholarships (Transfer Award / Trustee Award / Scotsman / True Blue) — Fall 2026
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.
Worth knowing
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).
South Carolina Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (state award)Up to $6,700 (freshman year); up to $7,500 (sophomore-senior years)Not automaticRenewable
Published awardOther selection criteria
South Carolina Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (state award)
Up to $6,700 (freshman year); up to $7,500 (sophomore-senior years)
Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
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)
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for South Carolina Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (state award)
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.
Worth knowing
Students may receive only ONE of the three SC scholarships (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, or HOPE).
SC LIFE Scholarship (state award)Up to $5,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
Published awardOther selection criteria
SC LIFE Scholarship (state award)
Up to $5,000 per year
Variable or qualified amountNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.
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)
RenewableCheck the conditions
Open award details for SC LIFE Scholarship (state award)
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.
Worth knowing
Mutually exclusive with Palmetto Fellows and HOPE. SC HOPE ($2,800, one year, 3.0 GPA) serves freshmen who miss LIFE.
Lights up against Presbyterian (PC)'s published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.
Free Merit Check
Check the rules that could cut this.
The free Merit Check shows which Presbyterian (PC) award your student's numbers reach, and the rules that could change it. About 30 seconds.
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“it told me what to ask and what the renewal GPA looked like, which I was not going to find on my own”Melissa
The fine print
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 makes Presbyterian (PC) different
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.
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
More than one award path
Separate the two paths.
Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.
Match the published criteria
Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.
Check the application dates
Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.
Know what happens next year
Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.
The fine print / Three questions to carry forward
Before you count on it.
Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.
Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.
Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.
A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.
See what could change an award+
What families often miss
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 income
Average 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.'
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
