The College of Charleston is paving new paths for high-achieving students with financial challenges through its latest initiative, the Meeting Street Charleston Compact. This comprehensive program is designed to enhance accessibility to college education by leveraging the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund. It promises that recipients who enroll will have all eligible expenses like housing, food, tuition, and required fees entirely covered.
"We want to increase the number of Meeting Street Scholarship Fund recipients who choose our College," shared Jimmie Foster, vice president of enrollment planning. According to him, these recipients have demonstrated exceptional leadership inside and outside the classroom and have thrived at the institution.
The College aims to expand financial support to these deserving students, hoping they'll not only choose to attend but also decide to settle in Charleston post-graduation, contributing to the community. This initiative places the College of Charleston as the second higher education institution in South Carolina to design an aid program specifically around this scholarship, focusing on the students it serves.
Josh Bell, president of Beemok Education, which supports the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, emphasized, "This Meeting Street Charleston Compact will make a meaningful difference in our recipients’ lives."
The College's leadership recognizes the pressing need and has taken significant steps to aid South Carolina's brightest students in earning their degrees despite financial constraints. Caryn Lewis, a sophomore at the College and a Meeting Street Scholarship Fund recipient, shared her personal story. Despite receiving a Pell Grant, SC LIFE Scholarship, and Meeting Street Scholarship, she faced a gap of over $1,500 this semester, which she covered through a student loan. Her father, Christopher, sees the Charleston Compact as a life-changing blessing, especially since three of his five children will attend college next year. "Not having to worry about the burden of student loans is a huge relief," he said.
The College of Charleston currently supports 120 scholarship recipients, ranking it third among institutions with the most scholarship holders. The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund acts as a last-dollar scholarship, covering the gap left after other aids, up to an annual maximum of $10,000. This means recipients pay for textbooks and other out-of-pocket costs, while the College assures that any remaining eligible expenses are met.
The Fund offers up to $40,000 to students who fulfill five specific criteria: living in one of 12 eligible counties, graduating from a public high school in those counties, earning a SC LIFE or Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, applying for FAFSA and receiving a Federal Pell Grant, and enrolling in one of 17 in-state colleges with a graduation rate of 50 percent or higher. Excitingly, students will automatically benefit from the Meeting Street Charleston Compact starting in fall 2025 without needing to apply. Furthermore, the College is in the process of developing additional support plans to ensure these students not only retain their scholarships but also graduate successfully.
