SMC Launches ‘Pioneer Promise’ Scholarship Program
Award Covers Cost of Tuition, Fees, and Books
Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) is reducing one of the most significant barriers to a college education – cost. Its new Pioneer Promise Scholarship gives high-achieving high school graduates free tuition, fees, and books at the College, rewarding them for their academic success.
“SMC has always been about providing a quality college education to all students and doing everything we can to eliminate the barriers to earning a degree,” said Ben Maxwell, vice president for enrollment at SMC. “With the Pioneer Promise Scholarship, we’re trying to eliminate cost as a barrier for top students.”
All South Carolina high school students who achieve a 4.0 or better grade point average (GPA), and are eligible for the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship, qualify for the Pioneer Promise Scholarship at SMC. The scholarship covers all remaining charges for tuition, fees, and books after a student’s other grants and scholarships have been applied. That means students who live on campus would pay only for their housing and meal plans. Students who commute to campus would attend at no cost.
Students can keep the scholarship through all four years at SMC as long as they maintain their LIFE Scholarship eligibility.
“We continue to seek ways to help students pursue higher education with as little financial burden as possible,” said Kyle Wade, director of financial aid and enrollment services. “We work with students and their families to identify all the scholarships, grants, and other financial aid available to them.”
The Pioneer Promise Scholarship is another tool SMC uses to help pave the way for more students to earn their degrees. The College’s Full Tuition Scholarship has rewarded high school graduates with a 3.0 or better GPA, and LIFE Scholarship eligibility, with free tuition for several years. The Pioneer Promise increases that reward for 4.0 GPA students by also waiving fees and covering the cost of books. The scholarship is available for in-person students. SMC will begin awarding the Pioneer Promise Scholarship to eligible students starting school in the fall of 2023.
SMC’s bachelor’s degree programs, launched in 2019, continue to grow. More students are seeking the value of a liberal arts education, which provides a broader range of specialization. They also benefit from SMC’s unique Camak Core professional development program, providing the soft skills and workplace-ready training employers are seeking, as a required part of their degree.