Gamecock Guarantee Program
Facts and Figures at a Glance
Report Description: This report summarizes important participant information, academic performance information, and aid information for students in the Gamecock Guarantee Program. Gamecock Guarantee participants are regularly admitted South Carolina residents who are considered first‐generation college students and whose families’ adjusted gross incomes at the time they join the program is less than 150% of the poverty level.
Participant Information
2008 Cohort
2009 Cohort
2010 Cohort
2011 Cohort
2012 Cohort
2013 Cohort
2014 Cohort
Total Participants
94
125
134
131
121
152
118
Overall
Average Freshman Year Income
NA
$ 17,843
$ 16,975
$ 16,691
$ 16,325
$ 18,440
$ 16,413
Race
Gender
Male
875 $ 17,115
41%
49%
42%
36%
45%
45%
33%
Female
59%
51%
58%
64%
55%
55%
67%
African American
43%
28%
31%
26%
31%
32%
38%
42%
58%
33%
Caucasian
39%
58%
51%
50%
52%
47%
45%
Hispanic
2%
4%
4%
9%
7%
6%
4%
Asian
11%
5%
7%
6%
3%
5%
5%
49%
5%
6%
Other
5%
6%
7%
8%
7%
10%
8%
7%
Participant Academic Performance
2008 Cohort
2009 Cohort
2010 Cohort
2011 Cohort
2012 Cohort
2013 Cohort
2014 Cohort
91%
92%
91%
93%
85%
91%
91%
Retention Rate
Three‐Year
89%
86%
87%
85%
78%
83%
NA
Overall
91%
85%
Two‐Year
Report Date: September 27, 2015
Four‐Year
83%
82%
82%
79%
74%
NA
NA
80%
Four‐Year Graduation Five‐Year Graduation Six‐Year Graduation Rate
Rate
Rate
60%
74%
77%
48%
65%
73%
49%
68%
NA
50%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
52%
69%
75%
Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
Participant Aid Information
2008 Cohort
2009 Cohort
2010 Cohort
2011 Cohort
2012 Cohort
2013 Cohort
2014 Cohort
Freshman Year Freshman Year Gift Aid as a Self‐Help Aid as a Percent of Total Percent of Total Award
Award
90%
10%
97%
3%
96%
4%
98%
2%
99%
1%
99%
1%
98%
2%
Overall
97%
3%
Freshman to Sophomore LIFE Scholarship Retention Rates
NA
NA
68%
74%
65%
73%
76%
71%
Average Student Loan Debt at Graduation (Students Graduating in Four Years)
$ 15,476
$ 12,442
$ 15,411
$ 12,996
NA
NA
NA
Average Student Loan Debt at Graduation (Students Graduating in Five to Six Years)
$ 21,700
$ 20,724
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
$ 14,081
$ 21,212
Additional Information
The Gamecock Guarantee is a need‐based financial‐ and academic‐support initiative to help make attendance at the university more affordable—and a South Carolina degree attainable—for academically qualified first‐time freshmen who will be the first in their families to earn a college degree and are residents of South Carolina.
At minimum, the Gamecock Guarantee provides each participant an award of $2,500 per year for four continuous years of enrollment. If this award combined with the total of other grants and scholarships in the student's financial aid package does not meet the cost of undergraduate tuition and technology fee, the Gamecock Guarantee will increase its support to cover the difference. In other words, Gamecock Guarantee participants who retain eligibility and graduate in four years will not pay any tuition and technology fee from their own pockets.
The purpose of the annual $2,500 program award is to help offset the participants’ educational costs while attending the University of South Carolina. Many Gamecock Guarantee participants will find that their other awards cover or nearly cover their tuition and technology fees. If so, they can use the remaining $2,500 program award to pay for other college‐related expenses such as course fees, equipment or lab fees, books and supplies, room, board or other miscellaneous expenses. Participants should diligently pursue and maintain their eligibility for other scholarships and grants. By doing so, the Gamecock Guarantee award can help to reduce or eliminate participants' needs for incurring educational debt. Twenty‐seven percent of the program participates who graduated within six years did so with no student loan debt incurred.
To be eligible a student must:
• Be a resident of South Carolina
• Apply for University admission on or before the December 1st priority application deadline
• Be admitted to the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus
• Have a family taxable income for the most recently completed tax year that is not greater than 150% of the Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines
• Be a first‐generation college student (neither parent has completed a four‐year college degree)
• Be eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant
• Enroll as a first‐time, full‐time freshman for fall semester after being admitted to a program (admission must be within 5 years of high school graduation)
• Be pursuing a bachelor's degree
Report Date: September 27, 2015
Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships