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Presidential Scholarships are merit-based financial awards offered to first-time entering freshmen who are US Citizens or legal permanent residents. Dollar amounts vary based on the current year's applicant pool and budget.

Students must have the admissions application and all supporting credentials on file in the admissions office by December 1 to be considered for the Presidential Scholarship. Students will be notified of scholarship awards no later than March 1. The selection process is highly competitive due to the high number of qualified applicants and available funding. Generally, students should meet all of the following criteria in order to be competitive:

1. Graduate in the top 5 percent of their high school graduation class
2. Score better than 1300 on the SAT or 29 on the ACT
3. Possess strong academic records

All students must enroll full-time (12 hours) each semester in order to eligible for any scholarship funds.

Continuing Eligibility

A recipient must earn 30 hours per year, including all summer terms. Earned hours do not include repeat courses, AP, IB, CLEP, or Placement hours or transfer hours from a previous academic year. Recipients of all scholarships must maintain a cumulative College of Charleston GPA of 3.0 If a scholarship is renewable and the student maintains the required academic standards, the scholarship will be renewed automatically. Renewals are made in the summer of each year for the upcoming year. Students failing to meet the renewal standards will be notified in writing in early summer. Students unable to meet the renewal standards will be given the opportunity to appeal based on mitigating circumstances (e.g. serious health condition, death or serious health condition of an immediate family member, or a traumatic event). Students who wish to appeal may complete the Scholarship Appeal Form. A continuing student that has lost eligibility, or was not previously eligible, cannot regain eligibility.

General Requirements

Students can only receive scholarship funds for 4 years from their initial college enrollment. Scholarships will be terminated when the student completes the requirements for a first undergraduate degree. Scholarship funds are not available during summer school.