South College’s First Responder Grant pays $1,000 per term to full-time students, $500 to half-time students and $250 to students less than half-time, and the college waives its application fee for first responders who receive the grant. It covers current and retired police, fire and EMS workers, and the page lists more than a dozen job titles by name.
South College’s page says it provides the grant to support first responders in the pursuit of their education and skill development. You can enter or continue as a student at any campus location, and the page lists Asheville, Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Marietta, Nashville, Orlando, Pittsburgh and an online location.
How To Get The South College First Responder Discount
- Enter or continue as a South College student at any campus location, online included. The page notes that not every online program is open to residents of every state, so ask whether yours is.
- Gather proof of current employment, or of retirement, from service in one of the roles the page lists. The page doesn’t say what form the proof takes.
- Submit that proof. The page says awarding depends on your being able to submit the appropriate documents, but it doesn’t say where they go, so ask admissions or financial aid.
- Expect the application fee to be waived. The page says it is for currently employed or retired first responders who receive the grant.
Who Qualifies, In The College’s Words
The page spells out the job titles: police officer, detective, deputy sheriff, state trooper, highway patrol officer, investigator, inspector, correctional officer, parole or probation officer, park ranger, fire fighter, paramedic and emergency medical technician. Current and retired both count, and the list reaches roles like park ranger and probation officer.
Dispatchers and volunteers aren’t named, and the page doesn’t mention spouses or children. If you’re in one of those groups, ask admissions before you plan around the grant.
What The Grant Pays, And How It’s Applied
The per-term amounts are $1,000 for full time, $500 for half-time and $250 for less than half-time. The page doesn’t define those enrollment levels, so ask what your course load counts as.
The grant covers outstanding tuition and fee charges after all other aid has been applied, and it has no cash value. It pays what’s left on your bill, not a check to you. It’s also meant for applicants who aren’t already receiving 100% coverage of tuition and fees from a VA educational benefit or a state, federal, institutional or private grant or scholarship.
Eligibility is determined term by term. The page says awards to eligible students won’t change as long as you keep your eligibility and stay enrolled, but a student who breaks enrollment is subject to updated grant rates under the catalog for their current enrollment.
What It Leaves Out
Four programs aren’t eligible: Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Health Science Physician Assistant, and Doctor of Nursing with Concentration in Nurse Anesthesia. You also can’t get the First Responder Grant and the South College Military Grant in the same quarter, so a student who qualifies for both has to pick one each quarter.
Before You Enroll
The page still says “quarter” in places while its table says “per term,” and it dates the grant to a winter quarter with no current-term stamp. It also says the grant is subject to change at the discretion of the college. Ask admissions what a term means for your program.
Q&A
Q: How much does the grant pay?
A: Per term, the page lists $1,000 full time, $500 half-time and $250 less than half-time.
Q: Does it pay me directly?
A: No. The page says it has no cash value and covers outstanding tuition and fee charges after other aid.
Q: Is the application fee really waived?
A: The page says so for currently employed or retired first responders who receive the grant.
Q: Can I use it for pharmacy or physical therapy school?
A: No. Both are on the page’s list of programs that aren’t eligible.
Q: Is there another school I should compare?
A: Our Liberty University page covers one.
More Information:
South College can change the grant, so read its page again before you enroll. For more ways to stretch the household budget, browse our money discounts. You can also see it alongside other options in How First Responders Can Save Thousands on College Tuition: The Best Schools Offering Tuition Discounts.
