S1018 amends several South Carolina higher-education scholarship provisions to recognize the Classic Learning Test (CLT) alongside the SAT and ACT. For the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, the bill adds CLT as an approved assessment and ties CLT/ACT scores to the existing eligibility pathways that use minimum test scores, GPA, and class rank. For the LIFE Scholarship, it similarly updates the eligibility language so students may qualify with equivalent ACT or CLT scores in place of the SAT, while preserving the existing GPA, class-rank, and in-state attendance requirements.
The bill also updates the definition of a “talented and qualified state resident” in the Governor’s Teaching Scholarship Loan Program to include students with equivalent ACT or CLT scores, in addition to the current SAT-based standard. The measure takes effect upon gubernatorial approval and would directly affect scholarship applicants, high schools certifying scores, and the Commission on Higher Education, which administers and interprets these programs.
Impact
If enacted, S1018 would amend Sections 59-104-20, 59-149-50, and 59-26-20 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. The practical effect is to broaden standardized-test options for eligibility in the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship programs and to align the teacher-loan scholarship definition with those same testing alternatives. It would not change the core GPA, class-rank, residency, or service requirements, but it would expand access for students who take the CLT or whose ACT scores are used as equivalents under Commission on Higher Education rules.
Sentiment
The bill text and available context do not include committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to measure. Based on the substance of the proposal, the measure appears designed as a technical and access-oriented update to scholarship rules rather than a major policy overhaul. The overall tone of the legislation is neutral and administrative, focused on standardizing eligibility across multiple testing formats.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of disagreement, if raised in discussion, would likely center on whether adding the CLT changes the competitiveness or academic standards of the scholarship programs, and on how the Commission on Higher Education will determine ACT/CLT score equivalencies. Another possible issue is whether expanding approved assessments could advantage or disadvantage students from different school types or testing backgrounds, but no such objections are recorded here.
Similar To
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-104-20, RELATING TO THE PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, SO AS TO ADD THE CLASSIC LEARNING TEST AS AN APPROVED ASSESSMENT FOR RECEIVING SCHOLARSHIPS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-149-50, RELATING TO THE LIFE SCHOLARSHIP, SO AS TO AMEND THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A LIFE SCHOLARSHIP TO INCLUDE ACT AND CLT SCORES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-26-20, RELATING TO THE DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "TALENTED AND QUALIFIED RESIDENT" TO INCLUDE ACT AND CLT SCORES.