CollegeLens
FAFSA deadlines for South Carolina
2027-28 FAFSA · opened September 23, 2026 · federal deadline June 30, 2028
File as early as you can. State and college deadlines come long before the federal one, and some state aid is awarded until the money runs out.
SC Commission on Higher Education Need-Based Grants
Awarded until funds run out
Grants are first come, first served.
From the federal FAFSA deadline table, read September 2026
SC Tuition Grants
August 1, 2027
Submit your FAFSA form by Aug. 1, 2027, midnight Central time for independent institutions only in the state of South Carolina.
From the federal FAFSA deadline table, read September 2026
State grant programs to ask about
- LIFE Scholarship · Merit-based
- SC HOPE Scholarship · Merit-based
- Palmetto Fellows Scholarship · Merit-based
- South Carolina Need-Based Grant · Need-based
Eligibility and award amounts change each year; confirm on the program's own page.