Local nonprofit plans to expand scholarships to all 46 SC counties

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A local non-profit has announced a new mission to help bring scholarship opportunities to aspiring college students across South Carolina.

Meeting Street Scholarship Fund announced Mission 46 Thursday, a plan to expand opportunities for to all 46 counties in South Carolina.

Executive Director Josh Bell admitted it is an ambitious goal, but they are confident it is possible.

“We get outreach from students all the time in counties that aren’t eligible that are desperate for this scholarship opportunity,” Bell said. “We’re committed to finding the funding. We’re going to continue to add new counties in the months ahead, and we need leaders across the state to engage with us to learn more about what it might take to come to their county.”

The scholarship money comes from philanthropists Ben and Kelly Navarro and Darla Moore.

This year, they are giving out over $10 million dollars to over 250 full-time students. The $10,000 per year scholarship can be used at 17 in-state colleges and universities.

Students must live in the 11 eligible counties, graduate from a public or state-authorized charter school, receive the state LIFE or Palmetto Fellows scholarship and receive a federal pell grant to qualify.

Since the program started three years ago, 44% of its 538 recipients are Black, 32% are white and 11% are Hispanic.

Eventually, the fund said they want to give scholarships to 2,100 students across the state at a cost of $42 million per year.

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