Your guide to CSU

You are an integral part of a student’s college search process, and we want to make the process as easy for you and your students as possible!

Charleston Southern University is the Lowcountry’s only Christian college and named one of the safest college campuses in South Carolina (Niche.com, StateUniversity.com). Here’s what you need to know before your student applies to Charleston Southern.

Each prospective student is assigned to an Enrollment Counselor who will handle his/her needs from admissions to financial aid to registration. Students can apply online here.


What CSU has to offer:

A Christian environment where faith is integrated into all learning, leading, and serving opportunities.

A beautiful campus conveniently located near historic Charleston and the Lowcountry’s beaches.

A rigorous academic program with excellent faculty who serve as mentors and in some programs as research partners.

A Financial Aid program that includes grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and low interest loans.

An Experiential Learning Initiative providing enriched educational opportunities via internships, practicums, clinicals, field courses, and other real-world application of classroom theory. Students are required to earn experiential credits, with many opportunities for participating in experiential learning existing on campus and in the Charleston region.

Two ROTC programs offering the unique opportunity to earn a degree at an independent, Christian university while pursuing a commission into the Air Force or Army upon graduation. Both programs provide the opportunity for various financial incentives, including the potential for full room & board coverage!

  • The Air Force ROTC program is home to the Flying Bucs and specializes in providing an exciting and engaging officer training program that ensures students receive all of the attention and training they will need to become a successful Air Force Officer.
  • The Army ROTC program, The Palmetto Battalion Army, is one of the largest ROTC battalions in the country and commissions between 70-100 cadets yearly. It works in cooperation with cadets from The Citadel, College of Charleston and MUSC.

Financial Aid Information

A student’s first step toward receiving financial aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online and submit it electronically using CSU’s federal school code 003419. The FAFSA is available October 1 of every year and can be submitted using the previous year’s tax information. Students and/or parents can create a Federal Student Aid ID to electronically sign their FAFSA.

Financial Aid Fast Facts

  • Students who attend CSU can apply for federal, state, institutional and endowed/funded scholarships, as well as outside scholarships and grants.
  • All students who have been accepted to CSU are evaluated for CSU merit-based scholarships.
  • CSU has been selected as a Military Friendly School and is a Yellow Ribbon participant.
  • Approximately 95% of our undergraduate students received some type of financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans last year.
  • A substantial portion of our undergrad students receive Federal Pell Grant funds.

Please feel free to give us a call at 843-863-7050 or toll free at 800-947-7474 if you have questions or need additional information.