There’s still time to apply for free or low-cost tuition at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.
OCtech is offering its own version of the recently announced SC Promise Scholarship to residents of Calhoun County. The Calhoun Pledge Scholarship is funded by Workforce Pathways Scholarship funds and the OCtech Foundation. Recipients are eligible for up to $2,000 for tuition, fees and books.
Funded by the General Assembly, SC Promise was designed to ensure a quality higher education is affordable and accessible to students living in some of the state’s poorest school districts, as identified in Abbeville County School District et al vs. South Carolina. Locally, recent graduates in Orangeburg, Bamberg, Allendale, Barnwell and Clarendon counties and Lexington School District Four are eligible to receive the scholarship.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to our service area, OCtech created Calhoun Pledge so that all of our students have the opportunity to receive an affordable education,” OCtech President Dr. Walt Tobin said. “OCtech graduates gain the skills they need to enter and succeed in a competitive job market or continue their degree at a number of four-year partner institutions.”
To qualify for the Calhoun Pledge Scholarship, students must:
- Have earned a high school diploma or GED between 2013 and 2018 while residing in Calhoun County
- Be enrolled or enrolling in a certificate, diploma or degree program at OCtech
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Calhoun Pledge Scholarship application
- Enroll in at least six credit hours in the fall 2018 and/or spring 2019 semesters
- Maintain a 2.0 GPA
- Participate in mentoring activities at the college
Graduates of all public, private, online and home schools who meet the qualifications are eligible for the Calhoun Pledge Scholarship. Students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree are not eligible.
Scholarship recipients may receive up to $2,000 per academic year after all other grant and scholarship funding is used. Funds may be used to cover the cost of tuition, mandatory fees and program fees. A $300 book allowance is included. Refunds will not be issued.
Fall classes start Monday, Aug. 20. To apply for the Calhoun Pledge and SC Promise scholarships, call 803.535.1224 or stop by Student Services in the Patrick Student Services building. Applications and more information are also available online at https://www.octech.edu/cost-financial-aid/sc-promise.
