Forrest Clonts
The South Carolina State Fair, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is excited to announce the opening of applications for its 28th annual Ride of Your Life Scholarship program. Each year, this initiative allocates $500,000 in college scholarships to high school seniors across South Carolina. Applications are open until March 15, 2025 and can be submitted online at scstatefair.org/scholarships.
“At the South Carolina State Fair, we are dedicated to harvesting the potential of South Carolina’s young adults by investing in their education and future,” says Nancy Smith, general manager of the South Carolina State Fair. “Through initiatives like our scholarship program, we strive to cultivate a brighter future for our communities and state.”
Since 1997, the S.C. State Fair has awarded more than $5 million to South Carolina students through the Ride of Your Life Scholarship program, reflecting the fair’s commitment to community-focused initiatives.
Scholarship Details and Application
This year, $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to 50 high school seniors across South Carolina and will be paid out at $2,500 per year over four years. Students pursuing two-year degrees will receive $2,500 per year over two years.
The scholarship funds must be used at a South Carolina university, college or institution, and may cover tuition or other educational expenses such as on-campus housing, a computer or textbooks. Scholarships are awarded based on academic and extracurricular achievement, communication skills, need and completeness of the application. Recipients must retain a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and enroll in no less than 30 credit hours each academic year to receive funding for that year.
To learn more about this program, visit scstatefair.org/scholarships or contact Betsy Cooper at betsyc@scstatefair.org or 803-799-3387, ext. 110. Scholarship applications must be completed online at https://www.scstatefair.org/
This year’s S.C. State Fair will take place October 8-19, 2025.
