COLUMBIA - The South Carolina State Fair has announced the 2026 recipients of its annual Ride of Your Life Scholarship program. This year, 54 high school seniors across South Carolina have been selected to receive prestigious $10,000 scholarships, totaling $540,000. A complete list of scholarship recipients can be found here.
“At a time when we are reflecting on the roots of our country, it’s especially meaningful to invest in students who are shaping what comes next,” said Nancy Smith, general manager of the South Carolina State Fair. “These students are grounded in resilience, purpose and a strong sense of where they come from, and we are proud to support their future endeavors.”
Each year, the S.C. State Fair, a self-supporting 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, awards 50 scholarships to South Carolina high school students planning to pursue their education at a public or private college, university or technical college within the state. Each $10,000 scholarship is distributed in annual installments of $2,500 and is awarded based on academic and extracurricular achievement, communication skills, financial need and completeness of the application.
Thanks to a generous $40,000 donation from Circle K and EMC Tickets, the S.C. State Fair was able to award four additional scholarships, increasing the total from 50 to 54.
The S.C. State Fair has a long history of supporting education, and the Ride of Your Life Scholarship program is one of the many ways the organization gives back to the community. Since the program’s inception in 1997, the S.C. State Fair has awarded nearly $6.5 million in scholarships.
This year’s recipients were selected from a competitive pool of applicants across the state, representing all seven of South Carolina’s congressional districts. Scholarship funds must be used at a South Carolina college or university and may cover tuition or other educational expenses such as on-campus housing, a computer or textbooks. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and complete at least 30 credit hours each academic year to receive funding.
To learn more, visit scstatefair.org/
The 2026 S.C. State Fair will be held October 15-25, 2026.