Bob Jones University announces free tuition program for South Carolina residents

GREENVILLE, S.C. (courtesy bju.edu) — On Nov. 29 Bob Jones University announced the launch of S.C. Pell Promise, a program which enables South Carolina residents to receive a tuition-free education if they receive a federal Pell Grant and the South Carolina LIFE Scholarship. Beginning in the fall 2023 semester, this program will be available to eligible students for all four years while attending BJU.

“BJU is the first independent university in the state to offer a program of this kind. We want to ensure qualified students with financial need will have an opportunity to receive a world-class, Christian liberal arts education without taking on substantial student loans,” said Dr. Bobby Wood, BJU vice president for enrollment and marketing. “We believe the S.C. Pell Promise puts college within reach for deserving South Carolina residents.”

For the last several years, BJU has improved its U.S. News & World Report ranking in the Social Mobility category and is ranked #2 among regional universities in the South. The social mobility score refers to the graduation rates of students awarded federal Pell Grants.

Approximately 33.5% of BJU students receive Pell Grants. The average financial aid package per South Carolina student is $16,800. In the Class of 2022, 61.4% graduated with no federal student loan debt.

In addition to the S.C. Pell Promise, BJU offers a number of need-based funds such as the Opportunity Scholars Program, a four-year scholarship for minority and refugee students.

In the 2023 U.S. News & World Report rankings, BJU is ranked #8 in the least amount of debt among Regional Universities in the South and is the only university in the Carolinas in the top 10.