Summer State Scholarships FAQ’s
Q. Who is eligible?
A. A student who has been verified as meeting all general and continuing eligibility requirements at the end of spring term may use a semester of their state scholarship terms in summer as long as they are enrolled in 12 credit hours and have not exceeded their 8 terms of eligibility.
Q. What amount will I receive?
A. LIFE eligible students will receive up to $2500. Palmetto Fellows eligible students will receive up to $3750. Enhancement eligible students will also receive up to $1250.
Q. When will I know if I am eligible?
A. Eligibility for summer state scholarship awards cannot be determined until two to three weeks after spring grades are posted. Contact Financial Aid and Scholarships for further information about your eligibility. You will need to complete a form in order to officially accept the award.
Q. Can all state scholarships be used in summer?
A. LIFE, Palmetto Fellows and Enhancement Scholarships can be used, for those that are eligible and enrolled in at least 12 credit hours between the Maymester, Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms. Hope scholarship cannot be used in summer.
Q. Do all 12 credit hours have to be in one summer term?
A. No, you can be enrolled in multiple summer terms (Maymester, Summer I, Summer II) as long as you are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours total.
Q. What if my class gets cancelled in one of the summer sessions or I drop a class in one of the summer sessions and I’m no longer enrolled in a total of 12 hours?
A. You will not be eligible to receive a state scholarship for summer and any disbursed funds will be cancelled. When your scholarship is cancelled, you will be required to pay back any scholarship funds you may have received in a prior summer term.
Q. Can I make up my scholarship deficiency over summer?
A. Yes, but you will not be eligible to use LIFE or Palmetto Fellows funding in the summer term.
Q. Can I use my Enhancement Scholarship?
A. Yes, if you are in an eligible, declared major and met the 14 credit hour requirement prior to the first day of your first registered summer term.
Q. Will my renewal criteria be different if I attend summer?
A. No, attending summer does not change the total number of earned hours required for state scholarship renewal.
Q. If I attend and use my state scholarship this summer do I have to attend summer school next year?
A. No. Participation in the summer state scholarship program does not constitute commitment for the following summer. Summer participation will count as using a term of eligibility.
Q. Will I graduate in 3 years?
A. Participation in summer does not guarantee accelerated graduation, but provides the opportunity for early graduation.
Q. Is summer an extra term of eligibility in addition to my 4 years?
A. No, participating in summer will not extend the 8 total semesters of potential eligibility. Participating in summer will count as using a term of eligibility.
Q. If I attend 12 hours in summer, do I have to use my state scholarship?
A. No, participation is voluntary.
Q. Can I take classes at another institution and receive my state scholarship either at Coastal or the other institution?
A. No. You must be enrolled in 12 credit hours at CCU to participate.
Q. Can I take online classes?
A. Any classes offered through CCU, including online coursework will count towards the 12 credit hours required to participate.
Q. What if my GPA drops below a 3.0 at the end of summer?
A. You will remain eligible for the following fall & spring terms, as long as you are enrolled full time. You will have the opportunity to bring your GPA back up to a 3.0 by the end of the following spring term.
Please note: participating in summer will use a semester of your state scholarship eligibility. It does not grant you an additional term beyond 8 semesters. If your graduation plan will take you longer than 8 semesters, we strongly encourage you to decide if summer participation is the best course of action for your academic goals. If the coursework offered in summer does not fulfill your degree requirements, we strongly encourage you to work with your academic advisor to decide if summer participation is recommended.