South Carolina benefits for college students

Food assistance: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

South Carolina's name for SNAP, run by South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS). If you are enrolled at least half-time, you need a student exemption to qualify, such as working 20 hours a week, work-study or caring for a young child. If you are enrolled less than half-time, the student rule does not apply and only the regular SNAP rules do. See every exemption →

The SCDSS SNAP Policy Manual (Vol. 72, September 2026, section 7.4) follows the federal student rules: a student enrolled at least half-time (including online learning) needs one exemption, such as working an average of 20 paid hours a week, approved work study for the term, caring for a child under 6, being a full-time single parent of a child under 12, or being placed in college through WIOA, a SNAP E&T career and technical education program, a Trade Act program, or a state/local employment and training program. The manual adds that a student whose meal plan covers more than 50% of their meals daily cannot get SNAP. No separate state student page or state-designated program list was found.

Apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Health coverage: Healthy Connections Medicaid

South Carolina has not adopted the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, so coverage for adults without children is limited. A HealthCare.gov plan may be the better route; check the state's rules below. All your health coverage options →

SCDHHS lists a Former Foster Care group covering people up to age 26 who were in foster care, and Family Planning-only coverage. Adults 19-64 without a qualifying category (parent/caretaker, pregnancy, disability, etc.) have no full-coverage group based on income alone.

Apply for Healthy Connections Medicaid

Child care help: SC Child Care Scholarship Program (Working Families Child Care Scholarship)

Going to college or training can count, with limits. By the program's rules a parent can qualify by working at least 15 hours a week OR attending school or a training program (children birth-12). To enter, family income must be at or below 55% of state median income (85% is the limit to stay in the program). BUT since December 1, 2025 the Working Families scholarship is paused: new applications and renewals are only processed for five protected categories (TANF, special needs, homelessness, child welfare and domestic violence); other applications are denied for lack of funding, and SC First Steps 4K and Head Start are suggested as alternatives. Effective 10/1/2026 families can join a wait list through the DSS Benefits Portal.

Apply for SC Child Care Scholarship Program (Working Families Child Care Scholarship) · Help on campus (CCAMPIS) →

Phone and internet: Lifeline

Lifeline South Carolina: An additional discount, on top of federal Lifeline, for residents who qualify for federal Lifeline and get wireline (landline) local phone service from one of 24 incumbent local phone companies; funded by the South Carolina Universal Service Fund. The amount is not stated on the ORS pages. Who qualifies →

Apply for Lifeline (Lifeline South Carolina)

Taxes

A state credit for full-year South Carolina residents who claimed the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, claimed on the SC1040TC (credit code 060, form TC-60). SCDOR lists Free File Alliance providers that file both federal and South Carolina returns free if you meet each provider's terms; SCDOR says you may qualify if you made $89,000 or less in 2025. You must start from the links on SCDOR's page.

SC Earned Income Tax Credit · Free state filing · Federal education tax credits → · Free federal filing →

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