Federal School Code: 003425
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LIFE Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions

Initial Eligibility
Do I have to apply for the LIFE Scholarship?
No. All entering freshmen and transfer students are automatically reviewed for their LIFE Scholarship eligibility when they are accepted to Clemson.


Can I get the LIFE Scholarship if I graduated from an out-of-state high school?
Some students that have graduated from an out-of-state high school WILL qualify for the LIFE Scholarship based on the Residency status of the parents. For complete details, go to Clemson's Residency web site. State regulations on Residency and the LIFE Scholarship are listed on the website for the Commission on Higher Education www.che.sc.gov.


Can I apply for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship if I have the LIFE Scholarship?
No. The Palmetto Fellows scholarship has a different set of criteria for initial eligibility and must be applied for through the high school guidance counselor.


What happens if I don't enroll in college right after high school-can I still get the LIFE Scholarship once I start college?
Yes, as long as the high school criteria was met at the time of graduation and the student has not attended college part-time before starting full time college enrollment.

Study Abroad and Co-op
If I Study Abroad one semester, can I use the LIFE Scholarship?
Some (not all) Study Abroad programs do allow a student to use their LIFE Scholarship funds for the semester abroad. Students should meet with the Study Abroad Coordinator in the Financial Aid Office to determine if their scholarship can be used for the Study Abroad semester.


If I Study Abroad, and my transcripts from the foreign school are not sent back to Clemson before the next school year starts, can I have the LIFE Scholarship while I am waiting for the credits to be posted?
Some students MAY have enough cumulative earned credit hours to award the LIFE Scholarship before their Study Abroad transcript arrives and is posted. Students who do NOT have enough earned credit hours will NOT have the LIFE Scholarship until the transcript arrives, is evaluated, and the transfer credits are posted through the Office of Student Records at Clemson. Once eligibility is confirmed, the LIFE Scholarship can be awarded after the school term has started.


What happens to my LIFE Scholarship when I do a Co-op?
If a student is enrolled in a Co-op that is in either the Fall or Spring terms, they are not charged full tuition & fees. Thus, the LIFE Scholarship stipend for that semester is not used and remains available for future semesters providing the student meets the regular LIFE Scholarship criteria (credit hours and LIFE GPA).


Financial Aid
Can the LIFE Scholarship be used to pay for my apartment?
The LIFE Scholarship is applied as a general credit towards the student's University account. On the first day of classes, if all other tuition and fees are satisfied and the student is enrolled full time, excess financial aid is released in a refund to the student. These funds can certainly include the LIFE Scholarship, and the refund can be used for any college-related expenses.


If I drop a class, will I lose my LIFE Scholarship?
The Financial Aid Office is required to verify that all LIFE Scholarship recipients are enrolled full time (12 credit hours minimum) at the end of the Drop/Add period at the start of each semester. University policy allows students to drop courses during the semester up to a certain date. The LIFE Scholarship funds MAY be affected by a course withdrawal depending on when the course is dropped. Students are advised to contact the University Receivables or Bursar's Office prior to dropping BELOW 12 credit hours during the semester.


How do I get the $300 Book Allowance?
The Book allowance is credited towards the student's University account combined with the rest of the LIFE Scholarship funds. Once the scholarship is credited to the student's University account, they can then choose to move funds onto their Tiger Stripe Card for the purpose of purchasing books.

LIFE GPA
What is the LIFE GPA?
The LIFE GPA is a GPA used only for the purpose of LIFE Scholarship awards. It represents an all-college GPA, consisting of the combined total of a student's Grade(Quality) Points divided by the cumulative number of attempted credit hours from all schools attended to earn college credits, even while still enrolled
in high school. The GPA must be 3.0 or better for the Scholarship.


How is the LIFE GPA calculated?
The formula approved by the SC Legislature is the combined total of all grade (quality) points (all schools attended for college credits) divided by the total number of attempted credit hours (all schools). Here is a handy GPA calulator: GPA Calculator


Am I required to send all my transcripts to Clemson?
The law requires that a student receiving the LIFE Scholarship sign an affidavit confirming that they have sent all transcripts to Clemson representing an accurate LIFE GPA. This would include ALL transcripts, event those from a school that a student attended while still in high school and college course work that a student did not successfully transfer due to low grades.

Continuing Eligibility
How do I keep the LIFE Scholarship for the next year?
The continuing eligibility requirements for students are as follows: after their first year in college, they need to have earned an average of 30 credit hours or more and have a LIFE GPA of at least 3.0 or better by the end of that academic year (Fall+ Spring+ Summer). By the of their second year in college a student would need to have a cumulative total of at least 60 credit hours along with the LIFE GPA of 3.0 or better. By the end of the third year in college, a student must show at least 90 cumulative credit hours and have the 3.0 LIFE GPA.


Do I have to earn an exact 30 credits each year?
No. The LIFE Scholarship is a CUMULATIVE scholarship program, and students are allowed to count transfer credit work, Advanced Placement credits, and exempt credits toward the tota lcredit hours needed each year. If a student starts college without any transfer, AP, or exempt credit hours, then they would HAVE to earn at least 30 credits that year to meet the renewal criteria for the next academic year.


How long can I receive the LIFE Scholarship?
Once a student begins college, (assuming they have met the initial criteria to be awarded the scholarship), they have up to 8 semesters of potential eligibility. If a student graduates before using all 8 semesters, the student forfeits any remaining LIFE Scholarship semesters (stipends). The only exception to this rule is for Landscape Architecture Majors who may have up to 10 semesters because this major is defined as a five-year program by Clemson University.


If I graduate early, can I use any remaining semesters towards graduate courses?
No. The LIFE Scholarship is only available to students who are pursuing their first baccalaureate degree from an accredited university.

If I do not have the LIFE Scholarship right now, but get my GPA back up to 3.0 after the Fall term, can I get the LIFE Scholarship for the Spring term?
No. The LIFE scholarship is awarded for one year (Fall & Spring terms) at a time. Students are reviewed at the end of the Spring term for eligibility for the following year's awards. Students are also reviewed at the end of summer sessions for eligibility.


What happens if I take a semester off to work or just to be away from school for
personal reasons?
The semester you are not enrolled is STILL counted as one of the 8 total terms of potential eligibility. Future eligibility may be jeopardized due to lower credit hours earned and/or low GPA after a student has taken a semester off. A student might also file an appeal to the Commission on Higher Education (ChE) for a review of their file under certain circumstances. Typically, just 'taking off' a semester off is NOT considered a valid reason to request a review by ChE. The web address for the Commission on Higher Education (the governing agency for the State Scholarship Programs) is www.che.sc.gov.


What happens if I have to take a medical withdrawal from Clemson?
There are instances where a student MUST leave school for documented medical reasons, including psychological. If a student takes a medical withdrawal during the Fall term, they should still be able to enroll and use their LIFE Scholarship as a full time student in the Spring term, since the scholarship is awarded for a year at a time. Irregardless of the semester itself, we would advise the student to submit an appeal to the Commission on Higher Education for review of the student's eligibility for the next academic year. The web address for ChE iswww.che.sc.gov.


If I transfer to another school, will the LIFE Scholarship automatically be transferred to the other school?
We recommend that a student contact the school they are transferring to for information on that school's LIFE Scholarship review of entering transfer students. Each school reviews the incoming transfer students for LIFE Scholarship eligibility, and Clemson is not required to notify the other school about LIFE Scholarship status.

If you have additional questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office.



 

 

 

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