U of S.C. creates safety net for at-risk scholarship students

A May 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found a majority of college students identified balancing academics with personal, family and financial responsibilities as their greatest stressor.

Officials at the University of South Carolina saw this in real time, as a share of students would lose their state-awarded merit scholarships each year because their grades faltered or they didn’t complete the required credit load needed to maintain the award. Adviser-led outreach has helped enroll learners in summer courses to ensure students meet requirements and stay on track to graduate.

Over the past three years, the intervention has helped thousands of students retain their scholarships and re-enroll for the fall term.

Scholars at risk: Each year, the state of South Carolina awards high school students merit scholarships based on their residency and their academic standing, which they can apply to an eligible South Carolina higher education institution. The top awards—the Legislative Incentives for Future Excellence Scholarship and the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship—provide students up to $20,000 and $29,200 over four years, respectively.

To maintain eligibility for both awards, students must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average and complete 30 credit hours per academic year.

“The high cost of higher education and the academic requirements for retaining scholarships can create significant barriers for students at risk of losing their financial aid,” says Mike Dial, associate director of undergraduate academic advising. “Internal data shows that, without intervention, these students are less likely to continue their education.”

Among students who started in 2015, only 73 percent who lost their scholarships persisted to a second year, compared to 96 percent of first-year students who retained their scholarships. Graduation rates, similarly, were much lower for those who lost their scholarships (53 percent) than for those who retained them past their first year (89 percent).

Starting in 2021, the University Advising Center (UAC) partnered with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) to implement the Scholarship Risk Intervention program to help students hang on to their financial aid.

Put in practice: Each May, the financial aid office provides advisers with a list of at-risk students, identified based on their insufficient GPA, credit hours or both. From there, advisers create cases in the campus advising software, which are assigned to the student’s academic adviser. The adviser will then review the student’s case and which scholarship they’re receiving to see if it’s feasible for the student to meet eligibility criteria during the summer term, before the official scholarship review by the financial aid office.

If it looks like a student can bridge the gap during the summer, an adviser will reach out via email, text or phone calls. Once the student engages, advisers partner with students to identify strategies to make up the deficit, such as enrolling in a course that plays to the student’s strengths or balancing the number of credits a student takes to not hinder their GPA further.

What’s different: The initiative hinges on the cooperation between UAC and OFAS, breaking down silos to aid student retention and completion.

“This collaboration provides a holistic approach to student support, helping them understand how their academic choices directly affect their financial aid,” Dial says. “Advisers now play an active role in helping students retain their scholarships.”

A recent study by Tyton Partners found that, while many students want to discuss financial issues with their advisers (48 percent), advisers are less likely to consider financial issues an essential topic to discuss (30 percent).

The impact: The initiative has been largely successful, improving retention and scholarship eligibility for students who engage with advisers.

From March 2021 to August 2024, 5,650 unique students were flagged as at-risk, with a total of 6,634 flags created. Around three in 10 at-risk students were students of color, and a similar number were first-generation students.

About half (55 percent) of these students had a conversation with an adviser about their options, and 61 percent of these students enrolled in a summer session, compared to 38 percent of students who did not have contact with an adviser. Forty-six percent of students who discussed plans with their adviser retained their aid, and 91 percent who had discussions with advisers returned to the institution in the fall.

Spring 2024 data, specifically, found 55 percent of students (n=1,676) engaged with an adviser, 80 percent enrolled in a summer course, 59 percent retained their scholarships and 95 percent retained into the fall semester.

“The findings further illustrate the critical role of advisors in guiding students through the complexities of financial aid requirements, encouraging retention, and improving academic performance,” according to a university report.

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