Heads up students: TCL is extending free tuition program into fall 2022, officials say

South Carolina residents looking to further their education in Beaufort County can do so for free at the Technical College of the Lowcountry.

The free tuition program began in the fall of 2021 following the announcement of a workforce scholarship from Gov. Henry McMaster that would go to all of South Carolina’s technical colleges. Now, that program has been extended to include the fall 2022 semester at TCL.

Tuition in all areas of the school’s career pathways, from healthcare to early childhood development, will be covered under the workforce scholarship, which was developed to combat the ongoing worker shortage.

“The whole program started with the caveat that this was for high-demand career paths,” said Mindy Lucas, a public relations specialist at the school.

Students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours, which is two classes per semester, in order to be eligible. While the program offers free tuition to all South Carolina residents regardless of financial status, Lucas said, students should fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify. The tuition program does not apply to dual enrollment high school students, whose tuition is already covered by the school district, or transient students who are enrolled at another college, Lucas said. The deadline for fall enrollment is Aug. 18.

“This is TCL’s promise: We are committed to offering quality, post-secondary education to residents here in the Lowcountry,” Lucas said. “This just helps for us to continue that commitment.”