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Committee clears higher-education rule changes on residency and Palmetto Scholars ACT scoring
Summary
The panel approved a residency regulation that clarifies in‑state tuition criteria and an update to Palmetto Scholars Fellowship rules aligning ACT composite scoring with SAT changes; CHE representatives said the changes make requirements clearer and more consumer friendly.
The committee approved two higher‑education regulatory items intended to clarify student residency standards and to align scholarship scoring with changes to standardized tests.
Jeff Perez of the Commission on Higher Education told the committee that the residency regulation (Doc 5443) simplifies and clarifies requirements for qualifying as an in‑state resident for tuition and includes an appeals option for unique family circumstances. "Bottom line up front, this will make your lives easier," Perez said, adding the revisions are designed to be more straightforward and allow appeals for unusual cases.
On scholarship policy, Perez explained updates to Palmetto Scholars Fellowship regulations reflect ACT's decision to drop its separate science requirement; the change makes SAT and ACT results comparable for scholarship consideration.
The committee moved to approve the residency regulation and to create the joint resolution required for the regulation to take effect for the coming school year; it also approved the Palmetto Scholars update by unanimous consent.
Next steps: the residency regulation will be packaged with a joint resolution for committee consideration as required by statute, and CHE staff said they will continue regulatory cleanup work in subsequent phases.
