University of South Carolina Beaufort

A small, public university with over 2,000 students from around the world, the University of South Carolina Beaufort is a dynamic and vibrant academic community that serves the Lowcountry and beyond.

The Historic Beaufort campus sits on the Intracoastal Waterway in downtown Beaufort, S.C., where you can live and study close to artsy shops, restaurants, and the waterfront—all in a historically rich town with so much to offer.

With a history dating back to 1795, this campus features a Center for the Arts that hosts exhibits, concerts, theatrical events, and other performances—all in a historic, scenic, and vibrant community. Students can also live on campus at the Grace White House, a newly renovated residence hall that has a full-sized kitchen, bedrooms, and in-house laundry.

Led by Chancellor Al M. Panu, the University has three campuses situated in the heart of the Lowcountry—the Bluffton campus in Bluffton, South Carolina, the Beaufort campus in Beaufort, South Carolina, and coming in 2018, the Hilton Head Island campus on Hilton Head Island, SC.

With its heritage dating back to Beaufort College in the late 1700s, USCB continues to play a large role in the powerful futures of our students, faculty and staff, and communities we serve throughout the Lowcountry.

USCB’s mission charges us to respond to regional needs, draw upon regional strengths, and prepare graduates to contribute locally, nationally, and internationally. What does that actually mean? It means… that we are here to raise the bar.

We are here to instill in the next generation a penchant for critical thinking. We are here to elevate the standard of living for those who will come after us and who will shape the communities they will inhabit. We are here because the complex needs of this state and this nation demand an educated, informed, and discerning populace.

We are here because the Industrial Age long ago gave way to the Digital Age. And, if we are to live in a knowledge-based society with a high-tech global economy, we have an obligation to educate, train, guide, and inspire students to rise to a level never before required of them.

Universities are drivers for capital investment because workforce development spurs enterprise and, therefore, job creation. Median lifetime earnings for college graduates are twice those of high school graduates. And a bachelor’s degree has been a proven buffer against unemployment in economic downturns. For instance, 80 percent of jobs lost in the last recession were lost to workers with no post-secondary degree.

At the University of South Carolina Beaufort, our financial aid counselors are here to guide you through the process.

As you start thinking about paying for college and applying for scholarships, remember that USCB is the most affordable four-year institution in the state of South Carolina. Last year, USCB students were awarded $17.7 million in scholarships and aid, with 91 percent of new students at USCB receiving some sort of financial assistance.

To help meet your educational costs, grants, scholarships, loans, and other programs are available. Please review the various funding options under Federal Aid, Grants, Loans, and Veteran & Active Duty Benefits.

You are also encouraged to apply for USCB scholarships. Please review the Scholarship Process for instructions and deadline information.

Financial aid & scholarships awarded to USCB students in the 2015-16 academic year totaled $20.1 million.

Your financial aid package, along with your personal and/or family resources, will assist you in meeting your educational expenses. Eligibility for various programs is determined by the results of filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid).

A federal formula is then applied to the data you submitted on your FAFSA, and the results of this formula provide the calculations that determine how much you and your family should be able to provide toward meeting the cost of your education. (Your financial need is calculated by subtracting your expected family contribution from your cost of attendance.)

Advancement, a new direction, unfinished business — there are a lot of reasons to pursue a four-year college degree. With the convenience and affordability of the University of South Carolina Beaufort and Palmetto College, it’s hard to come up with reasons not to.

Your well-deserved salary increase is attainable. The ability to better support your family is no longer out of reach. Your time is now!

Students who have completed 60-hours of course work can complete all Program and Major requirements online. You can access your coursework from home or the office… or you can pick it up and take it with you to your son’s soccer game, your hair appointment or the nearest Starbucks! And because Palmetto College online degree completion programs are part of the USC system, your diploma will carry the same credibility and weight as any other four-year degree from the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

The academic setting at USCB is challenging. We expect a lot from our students, and we believe in their talents and potential. So it only makes sense to provide you with all of the resources, facilities, technology, and personalized support we can so that you can make the most of your experience.

From academic advising, to mapping out a curriculum that matches your future goals, to free professional and peer tutoring, to state-of-the-art libraries, to IT support, to a Writing Center that offers extensive instruction and guidance, our academic support services will give you all the resources you need to achieve success.

USCB is proud to provide to offer an on-site bookstore - Shark's Cove Bookstore. Students will be able to pick up their text books and purchase a number of academic resources including Sand Shark gear.

Our entire Hilton Head Gateway campus has been built in just the past 10 years, which means you’ll find smart classrooms, cutting-edge science labs, the newest university library in South Carolina, and the most current hardware and software throughout campus.

With more than 90,000 books and journals, as well as nearly 100 computers and private rooms for studying, USCB’s libraries on the Hilton Head Gateway and Historic Beaufort campuses give you the needed resources to discover your powerful future.

Without question, the greatest academic resource you’ll find at USCB is our outstanding faculty (link to new faculty awards page), who will be available to you far beyond the typical “office hours.” They will be truly dedicated to understanding your strengths and goals, and doing everything it takes to position you to realize your potential!