Education Scholarship

The Ida Martin Education Scholarship (Education Assistance)

The education assistance program exists to support Lowcountry residents aspiring to earn an undergraduate/post-secondary degree or certificate at a publicly accredited technical, trade, or vocational school, college, or university.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be officially accepted to and registered to attend an accredited South Carolina technical, trade, vocational school, college, or university.
• The applicant must currently reside in Hilton Head, Bluffton, Okatie or Jasper County, South Carolina.
• Applicants who are about to receive or have recently received their high school diploma must be able to show a minimum high school cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
• Applicants who have completed some undergraduate/post-secondary credits must be able to show a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher from their most recent enrollment.

Application Requirements

• Complete the Bluffton Self Help Universal Intake form located on the BSH website.
• Complete the Education Assistance Application which is provided by Bluffton Self Help once the Universal Intake form has been submitted and acknowledged.

Applicant must provide:
 Proof of residence (Utility or Cable Bill, Lease)
 Photo ID
 Household Income (if applicable and including government assistance)
 Proof of class registration
 Copy of tuition bill that includes address of bursar’s office.
 Copy of previous semester grades or high school transcript
 Personal essay introducing yourself to Bluffton Self Help and describing career plans and how this assistance will aid in achieving those goals (350-word minimum).
 One letter of recommendation
 If the applicant is in high school or within 1 year of graduation from high school, the reference letter should come from a school official (teacher, counselor or coach).
 If an applicant has not attended high school within the last year, the letter of recommendation may be sent by the applicant’s current employer or, instructor/professor.

Additional Information

• Up to $1,000 per semester.
• Assistance can be requested once per semester. Applicants must resubmit a new application with updated documentation.
• If approved, payments will be sent directly to the bursar’s office.

Deadlines to Apply

• Applications for Summer are due by May 1st.
• Applications for Fall Semester are due by July 21st.
• Applications for Spring Semester are due by December 1st.

 

To begin your application process, click here to fill out Bluffton Self Help’s intake form. 

Once completed, someone from Bluffton Self Help will reach out to you to continue to application process.

Questions: please email help@blufftonselfhelp.org or call 843-757-8000.