South Carolina – The South Carolina State Fair, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is excited to announce the opening of applications for its 27th annual Ride of Your Life Scholarship program. Every year, this program gives away over $500,000 in college scholarships to high school seniors living in South Carolina. The deadline for scholarship applications is March 15, 2024, and they can be filled out and sent in online through the website scstatefair.org/scholarships.
“At the South Carolina State Fair, we are dedicated to championing excellence within our state, beginning with the education of our young adults,” says Nancy Smith, general manager of the South Carolina State Fair, about the organization’s unwavering commitment to education. “Our mission is to play an active role in shaping the future of South Carolina through the invaluable gift of education.”
Since its start in 1997, the Ride of Your Life Scholarship program has provided over $5 million to students from South Carolina, showing the fair’s focus on helping the community.
Partnership with Circle K to provide three additional scholarships
This year, the scholarship program is getting bigger thanks to the support from Circle K stores and EMC Tickets. Circle K has donated $34,000 to the fair on January 22, 2024, which means the fair can now offer three more scholarships, making it 53 scholarships available this year. This expansion shows Circle K’s dedication to education and community support.
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“It is our pleasure to contribute to the South Carolina State Fair’s scholarship program and provide opportunities for students to achieve their dreams,” says Lauren Conner, Circle K regional director of operations.
“EMC Tickets is proud to partner with Circle K and the South Carolina State Fair,” says Steve White, CEO of EMC Tickets. “This effort not only expands educational opportunities but underscores the positive impact that businesses and community events can have on shaping the future.”
This year, 53 high school seniors from South Carolina will each receive scholarships worth $10,000. These scholarships will be distributed as $2,500 annually over four years. For students enrolled in two-year programs, they’ll get $2,500 each year for two years. Among these scholarships, one is specially set aside for someone who works at Circle K or is a family member of an employee.
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These scholarship funds are to be used at colleges, universities, or other educational institutions in South Carolina. They can help pay for tuition, campus living, a computer, or books. The selection of winners is based on their grades, activities outside of school, how well they communicate, their financial need, and how complete their application is. To keep getting the scholarship every year, students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0 and sign up for a minimum of 30 credit hours each school year.
Students or their parents interested in applying can get more information at scstatefair.org/scholarships or by reaching out to Betsy Cooper at [email protected] or calling 803-799-3387, extension 110. The application must be filled out online at https://www.scstatefair.org/scholarships by March 15, 2024. Those who win a scholarship will find out in the middle of May.
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The South Carolina State Fair this year will run from October 9 to October 20, 2024.
