by our College Data Analytics TeamA large number of students are not billed the full, advertised sticker price of a school. Instead, they will be given a financial aid offer that will include a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study. The price tag of going to University of South Carolina-Columbia can appear tremendous, but do not forget that almost all students obtain some kind of financial help.
What financial aid options can UofSC offer you, and what will you qualify for? Keep reading for more information. Scroll down to learn how much school funding will be available to you.
The amount of financial aid and scholarships you are eligible for will vary depending on your family’s income. Use the information below to understand how much financial assistance you may get from University of South Carolina-Columbia.
Financial aid, in the form of loans, grants, work-study, and scholarships, is one way colleges reduce the cost of attendance so most students can actually afford to attend. Note that some aid is more valuable than the rest, and individual awards are far from uniform.
At University of South Carolina-Columbia, 94% of the incoming full-time class was awarded financial aid approximately 6894 new students).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 91% | $7,139 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 67% | $3,032 |
| Federal Pell grants | 20% | $5,819 |
| State/local grants | 53% | $6,071 |
| Federal student loans | 46% | $5,412 |
Gift aid — grants and scholarships — beats loans every time because none of it has to be repaid. At UofSC, about 80% of the undergraduate population received grant aid that averaged $7,193 (for some 22792 students).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 80% | $7,193 |
| Federal Pell grants | 19% | $5,764 |
| Federal student loans | 41% | $6,319 |
Title-IV recipients living on campus saw average grant aid of $8,827.
Since aid is largely need-based, the real cost of attendance falls steeply for lower-income families.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $15,767 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $20,366 |
| Over $75,000 | $28,908 |
These figures reflect what title-IV aid recipients pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied.
The net price represents the average annual cost a title-IV-receiving student pays after grant aid is subtracted from the full cost of attendance.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $22,811 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $24,532 |
For a personalized estimate based on your family’s financial situation, use UofSC’s online cost calculator: sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/financial_aid/cost_and_aid/cost_to_attend/index.php.
The median student at UofSC graduates with $18,500 of federal student loans.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $18,500 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $21,500 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $227.94/mo |
Spreading the median graduate debt over a standard 10-year repayment schedule works out to roughly the monthly payment shown above.
The median alone does not show how widely outcomes vary across the student body. The percentiles below describe the cumulative federal debt distribution for borrowers at UofSC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,250 |
| 25th percentile | $8,750 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,000 |
The figures below break down median federal debt by income tier, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,918 |
| Middle income | $18,750 |
| High income | $18,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,625 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,362 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,250 |
| Independent students | $22,063 |
Federal data publishes pre-calculated indicators that summarize debt outcomes. UofSC.
Stafford loans make up the bulk of federal direct lending to undergraduates. Below is the annual Stafford program activity at UofSC:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 84515 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $2,493,344,611 |
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or DoD Tuition Assistance.
Post-9/11 GI Bill activity
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 747 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $9,204,944 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $12,323 |
DoD program volume
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 132 |
| Total DoD amount | $480,423 |
| Average DoD amount per recipient | $3,640 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.