<p>I've read a couple postings on this board indicating that "in-state" tuition would be granted to OSers if certain grant/scholarship criteria is met ($500 was mentioned).</p>
<p>Can someone provide a clarification on this issue - a reference to a written policy would be very helpful. My D recieved her "invitation" to join the Gamecock Class of 2011 last week - a surprise as I had thought to hear from our in-state school first. </p>
<p>We had assumed it would be a cut-and-dry decision to remain in-state (U of WA), this would alter those assumptions drastically.</p>
<p>I will most certainly be calling the FinAid office about this, just thought I could be armed with something more concrete than "I read this on a forum...". This just seemed to be too good to be true given the usual aspects of residence requirements.</p>
<p>If you look on the scholarship page it says somewhere that any significant scholarship from the university also comes with in-state tuition. They should be sending scholarship information anytime between now and early March I would think. If she receives a scholarship she will most likely be given in-state as well. Good luck!
You can look at the stats on the scholarship page to see if her stats fall into the general scholarship guidelines.</p>
<p>I looked at the SC.edu Financial Aid pages (under Scholarships-Out of State) I can see the policy stated down to the 1500$ award level, but I can swear somewhere in the written stuff we received last year that the level was $500 or more qualifying a student to get in state tuition rates.
You can certainly call the office there for verification.Its one of the best perks they offer.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Like cathymee I also remember being told at the info session when we toured that a $500 award also came with in-state tuition remission but later (I think at the Scholars Day session) heard something that contradicted that so I'm honestly not sure what the cut-off is.</p>
<p>Scholarships to OOS students are awarded on a grid based matrix based on SAT and GPA as I recall. I can't recall what the GPA minimum is/was but I think it was 3.5 and the SAT was 1250 to be considered for the OOS waiver, in other words a 3.5 AND 1250 puts you in the running if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>As a caveat, this was what we were told when we visited in the summer of 2005 prior to her senior year of HS and the success of the Capstone and other merit awards has certainly driven up the quality and scores of students matriculating so the matrix may have shifted slightly upward, or if the same the sheer nuimber of quality applicants may have some impact on who actually gets the awards.</p>
<p>I admit to being behind the curve on this - my D applied to one "reach", an in-state U, and 3 OOS based upon interest (USC for the Moore School of Bus).
Getting her first acceptance from Carolina was kinda like getting a change-up pitch (as I had thought we would hear from her safety/in-state picks first and go from there). I may have never picked up on this info had I not came on this forum (having a S attending a service academy sort of spoils you about not having to read the fine print about costs).</p>
<p>This info about getting in-state status changed our whole outlook - we just made reservations to visit Carolina in April.</p>
<p>AFA
If your D gets a scholarship offer,she'll be invited to visit for Scholars Day.I encourage you to attend then instead of (or in addition to) your April visit.
Good luck and let us know if you need any more info on being a Gamecock!</p>
<p>During a visit to a USC event several months back my daughter and husband met with representatives from Honors and Capstone who indicated that the SAT and GPA threshold for the scholarships as well as admission to both Honors and Capstone could possibly be higher than the 3.5 1250. I believe a 1300 SAT score was mentioned, but I wasn't there so don't quote me. It was mentioned that USC is evidently receiving far more out of state applications this year driving the competitiveness of Honors and Capstone as well as the scholarships up. My daughter was thrilled to get her acceptance to the Honors program several weeks back and now is anxiously awaiting the final word on scholarships so that a decision can be made!</p>
<p>Oh dear. My S really had his heart set on Capstone, but his stats are just only so slightly above what you mentioned. Did the representative happen to say how many students are competing to get into Capstone?</p>
<p>Thanks on the suggestion about "Scholar's Day". I haven't made the airline reservations yet - I notice that it is scheduled for 24 Mar. Still it's a toss-up, and Spring Break for us is the first week in April. Bottomline, we would like to go down to Columbia with an in-state acceptance from U. of Wash. in-hand. Hope all the predatory competition I've read about among the Ivies (where schools keep a scorecard of success getting students accepted by other schools) is in play at Carolina as well. I would think UW stacks up good, and I would challenge USC to meet (or beat) our in-state costs.</p>
<p>Regarding the cutoffs for SAT/GPA mentioned for scholarships at USC, I feel confident for my D's chances. Still, our own in-state U. will serve as a benchmark for the bottomline at USC. I am glad for my daughter to already have a USC acceptance - but I admit it has thrown our timing off a bit. I would really like to already have a UW acceptance or a confirmed USC scholarship/in-state status. But having both would be optimum for me as a parent to sit down with either's FinAid office.</p>
<p>Anyone else out there with any experience playing the "make a deal" game with FinAid at Carolina?</p>
<p>My knowledge is limited as I too am an applicants parent. But I am reasonably sure that an inviation to the scholars weekend would be the result of being offered a scholarship, which would also include waiver of OOS fees. Thus, you would have South Carolina scholarship "in hand" before you would visit.</p>
<p>Everyone at Scholars weekend last year had been offered merit money. As I recall we heard about D's scholarships sometime in mid to late February. She had been accepted in October and we actually got two letters the same day; one telling her that she had not been named a McNair finalist and the other telling her she had won a McKissick. EAmom and I were out and she opened the letters, fortunately (and luckily) she opened the good news first. We got the Capstone letter (which was the icing on the cake) a few days to a week later.</p>
<p>I don't recall seeing anyone post about negotiating with USC FA people. The fact that most awards also grant in state tuition remission is huge. Did she also apply for departmental scholarships? As I have said before many departmental scholarships are held and actually offered AFTER the student commits. I was told by a dept head that in D's department they want to use the $$ as a reward to deserving students who WANT to go to USC and have "discovered" them without having to be enticed to go there. My D found out about her departmental scholarship while she was at commencement practice in early May.....talk about making graduation even happier!</p>
<p>S was also contacted by his major dept AFTER he sent in his enrollment deposit and offered the opportunity to apply for departmental scholarships. They are saved (at least in his major) for enrolled students, not potential students.
I also have not heard of any potential students "negotiating" scholarship offers,but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen.
Good Luck!!</p>
<p>I found this on the "retaining my scholarship page" on the sc website.....
<a href="http://www.sc.edu/financialaid/academicret.html%5B/url%5D.Q">http://www.sc.edu/financialaid/academicret.html.Q</a>. I am a non-resident student who pays the reduced tuition charge in addition to receiving a scholarship. Will I retain this reduced tuition charge even if I lose my scholarship?
A. No, eligibility for the reduced tuition charge is contingent upon your receipt of a University sponsored scholarship valued at $250 or more per semester. If your scholarship is terminated, your reduced tuition charge is terminated as well.</p>
<p>Good feedback on the $500 ($250 per semester) threshold. Have to say that having in-state status will be a prerequisite for our D - so it's good to know. On the other hand, if such a small scholarship amount is not offered to an OOSer it pretty much sums up the desire of USC for you to attend.</p>
<p>So I guess we are still on the bubble waiting on the mail each day. But if an our in-state acceptance comes in first I guess it would be wise for me to make the call to Carolina and ask them if a positive decision is forthcoming.</p>
<p>So I guess I'm asking the same question again - for those who are not hands-down already in the hen house - has anyone dealt with Carolina's FinAid office in a "let's make a deal" situation?</p>
<p>Greenville,
I didn't mean to worry you or discourage you at all. I'm just reporting what we were told and my husband asked VERY specifically. Remember those stats I quoted were just guidelines and that things like GPA and leadership and essays can offset lower scores and vice versa. Also those stats were quoted to us in October or November. Now that USC admissions has a better picture of what the incoming class will likely be those thresholds could have changed either way. Also, we know out of staters currently in the Capstone program with stats at the low end or lower than that threshold.</p>
<p>Yes namtrag, that was my point exactly. I am holding off my call to see if I can show them a U. of Wash offer. I wouldn't expect to get a favorable response if I had nothing else in hand. I was just fishing to see if anyone else has had any experience in dealing with Carolina's FinAid. I am glad for all those whose decisions have already been made - with USC scholarship offers in hand. For those of us OOSers still in the wait-and-see mode I would hope Carolina would be in a position to tell us flat out they would match or beat any in-state U offer we happen to get.</p>