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Panel makes permanent rules for LIFE scholarship enhancements created by Act 156
Summary
The subcommittee approved regulations to make permanent emergency rules implementing Act 156 that add accounting and education majors to scholarship enhancements and preserve an emergency-year benefit for students in the current academic year.
The Education Administrative Subcommittee on Thursday approved permanent regulations implementing enhancements to the LIFE scholarship created by Act 156, a change that adds accounting and certain education majors to eligible fields and preserves emergency-rule benefits for the current academic year.
The regulations adopt emergency provisions already in effect so students eligible this year do not lose the $2,500-per-year enhancement for qualifying majors, officials said. Dr. Perez, the agency director who appeared before the subcommittee, said students who accept the enhancement sign a contract requiring one year of teaching in a South Carolina public school for each year they receive the enhancement, and that failure to meet the obligation converts the award into a repayable loan: "They sign a contract that if they take the enhancement for 1 year they have to teach in South Carolina in a public school for 1 year, And if they decide to change majors or don't do that, the enhancement becomes a loan that they have to pay back."
Karen Woodfalk, director of the Office of Student Affairs at the coordinating agency, said about 1,000 education majors were receiving the education enhancement this year and that about 250 students in STEM/accounting fields were included under the science category for fall term enrollment estimates; she said the office would confirm the exact accounting number. "About a 250 students total between the different departments that will benefit from this enhancement," Woodfalk said.
The subcommittee recorded a motion to approve the regulations as presented and voted to adopt them. Representative Jeff Bradley moved approval, Representative James Tipple seconded, and the motion carried.
The rules formalize the emergency language enacted after last session's legislation and maintain the 1:1 teaching obligation attached to the enhancement, ensuring the benefit remains available while the agency implements permanent procedures.
The subcommittee did not amend the GPA maintenance or repayment terms during the vote; staff said students must "maintain that 3 across the board," referring to the 3.0 GPA requirement discussed during the briefing.
The subcommittee will transmit the adopted regulation language as required by the regulations process.
