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CSU announces tuition promise program, first private university in SC to cover tuition
Beginning with freshmen in Fall 2024, Charleston Southern will offer Buc Promise--a tuition promise program for Pell-eligible students with a 3.5 unweighted GPA or higher. Photo by Ty Cornett
Charleston Southern University announced the launch of Buc Promise, a new renewable scholarship for Pell-eligible South Carolina residents with a minimum 3.5 high school GPA. The only private university in South Carolina making this tuition guarantee, Charleston Southern will cover the remaining costs of tuition after Pell and other gift aid are applied during a student’s four years at CSU. The program kicks off with the incoming Fall 2024 class.
“Higher education is the pathway to purpose,” President B. Keith Faulkner said. “As a first-generation college student and an alumnus of CSU, I can relate to the challenges and choices that so many students face. Charleston Southern is where I earned the opportunity for a better life, and our commitment to creating an affordable and accessible private Christian higher education experience for South Carolina residents is a decision that will impact generations to come. To transform one student’s life is to transform his or her legacy.”
Students eligible for Buc Promise must:
- Be a resident of the State of South Carolina
- Hold at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA
- Complete the FAFSA
- Be Pell-eligible for more than the “Minimum Pell Grant”
- Enroll full-time in a traditional degree program
- Be pursuing a first bachelor’s degree
Buc Promise is renewable each year, provided the student maintains eligibility.
“We are excited to reveal this tuition promise program that is certain to change the trajectory of lives for the better in our state,” Dr. Anthony Turner, vice president for enrollment and marketing, said. “For many students who are Pell-eligible, finances stand in the way of their dream of earning a bachelor’s degree. And many shy away from private education thinking that the educational costs are too high. Not only will Buc Promise break that barrier for our Pell-eligible applicants, but we hope this program will shine light on how students CAN afford a Christian higher education experience.”
To learn more about Buc Promise and apply to CSU, go to www.charlestonsouthern.edu/bucpromise.
About the Contributers
Jenna Johnson
Jenna Johnson serves as executive director of marketing and communication and chief communication officer at Charleston Southern University, where she has led strategic marketing initiatives since 2017. A graduate of Clemson University and CSU, her career spans media relations, brand management, and nonprofit leadership, earning recognition as one of Charleston’s Forty Under 40 and Best & Brightest 35 and Under. Passionate about communication and community, she is also deeply involved in her church, youth sports, and local charitable causes.
