Statewide Total Breaks the $1 Billion Barrier

COLUMBIA Aug. 17— The South Carolina Department of Education announced today the Class of 2012 was the first group to earn more than $1 billion in college scholarships since the state began tracking the information.

Counting over $2 million, Edgefield School District, in 2012, earned $2,789,250.00 in college scholarships:  in neighboring Aiken $41,317,740.00; Saluda, $2,299,880,00; and McCormick $507,050.00.

This year’s senior class scholarship total, from over the state, was $1,063,112,048.  The scholarship totals came from an annual survey of South Carolina school districts, as well as district-sponsored public charter schools, the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.  The following school district did not participate in the college scholarship survey: Hampton County School District 2.

The numbers represent two-year scholarship values for technical colleges and two-year schools, and four-year totals for four-year colleges and universities.  The previous five years’ scholarship totals were $684 million (2007), $767 million (2008), $869 million (2009), $917 million (2010) and $966 million (2011). Since 2007, South Carolina students have earned $5.226 billion in college scholarships.