S.C. Code Regs. § § 62-1200.45

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 62-1200.45 - Military Mobilization: LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement

A. Service members who are enrolled in college and are affected by military mobilizations will not be penalized for the term they are required to withdraw after the full refund period based on the institutional policies and procedures. Institutions are strongly encouraged to provide a full refund of required tuition, fees and other institutional charges or to provide a credit in a comparable amount against future charges for students who are forced to withdraw as a result of military mobilization. Additionally, the term(s) that the service member is mobilized will not count against the maximum terms of eligibility. The service member shall be allowed to receive the unused terms for the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement while mobilized during the succeeding summer or at the end of the maximum terms of eligibility based on initial college enrollment (provided the service member meets continued eligibility requirements). The service member must re-enroll in an eligible institution within twelve months upon their demobilization and provide official documentation to verify military deployment to the institutional Financial Aid Office upon re-enrollment to receive LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement. Reinstatement of the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement will be based upon the service member's eligibility at the time he/she was mobilized. If the student re-enrolls after the twelve month period, the service member must submit an Appeal Application to the Commission on Higher Education by the established deadline in order to be considered for reinstatement.

B. Service members who are enrolled in college and are mobilized for an entire academic year may renew the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement for the next academic year, if they met the eligibility requirements at the end of the prior academic year. Service members who did not use the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds/terms of eligibility during this period due to military mobilization shall be allowed to receive the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds during the succeeding summer or at the end of the maximum terms of eligibility based on initial college enrollment (provided the service member meets continued eligibility requirements).

C. Service members who are enrolled in college and are mobilized for one academic term must complete an average of thirty credit hours and earn a 3.0 "LIFE GPA" by the end of the academic year to be eligible for LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement renewal for the next academic year (see Section 62-1200.15 (3)(a-d) for example). Service members who did not use LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement funds/terms of eligibility during this period shall be allowed to receive the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement during the succeeding summer or at the end of the maximum terms of eligibility based on initial college enrollment (provided the service member meets the continued eligibility requirements).

D. In order to receive the LIFE Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement for summer school for the unused term(s), the service member must enroll in twelve credit hours during the succeeding summer term at the home institution. For service members who enroll in summer school and one other term of the academic year, the service member must earn a total of twenty-seven credit hours (or its equivalent) for the academic year. In order to maintain eligibility for the next academic year for service members who only attend summer school, the member must earn twelve credit hours during the academic year. The service member must meet all eligibility requirements as specified in the "Student Eligibility" and "Continued Eligibility" Sections for the LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement, except for the completion of the thirty credit hour requirement for the academic year.

E. The home institution will be responsible for receiving verification of military mobilization status, "LIFE GPA," credit hours earned and terms of eligibility based on the service member's initial college enrollment and eligibility for LIFE Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship Enhancement renewal for the next academic year.

F. Service members of the United States Armed Forces will not be penalized for any credit hours earned while on military mobilization. The credit hours earned will not count against the terms of eligibility, but will be used toward the annual credit hour requirement for the LIFE Scholarship and towards the minimum fourteen credit hour course level requirement for the LIFE Scholarship Enhancement.

S.C. Code Regs. § 62-1200.45

Added by State Register Volume 33, Issue No. 6, eff June 26, 2009. Amended by State Register Volume 35, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2011; State Register Volume 45, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/28/2021; State Register Volume 46, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/27/2022.