The South Carolina State Fair’s Ride of Your Life Scholarship

The South Carolina State Fair annually awards 50 scholarships to South Carolina high school students planning to pursue their studies at any public or private college, university, or technical college in the state. The $10,000 scholarships are awarded at an annual rate of $2,500 and are based on academic and extracurricular achievement, communication skills, need, and completeness of the application.

Expanding Opportunities with Circle K Collaboration

The S.C. State Fair is proud to announce an expansion of its scholarship program this year, made possible through a generous collaboration with Circle K stores and EMC Tickets. Circle K’s commitment to education and the community is evident through a $34,000 donation presented to the South Carolina State Fair on January 22, 2024. This donation allows the S.C. State Fair to award an additional three scholarships — increasing the total to 53 total scholarships this year.  One of the 53 scholarships is exclusively designated for a Circle K employee or dependent.

Scholarship Details and Application

The scholarships must be used at a public or private South Carolina college, university, or technical college and may cover tuition or other educational expenses like on-campus housing, a computer, or textbooks.

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.

Scholarship applications are accepted annually, generally beginning on February 1 through March 15. Scholarship winners are announced in mid-May each year.

Requirements & Application 

The South Carolina State Fair, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 1869 and is dedicated to preserving and promoting South Carolina’s agricultural roots while supporting statewide education. The South Carolina State Fair has awarded over $5 million in scholarships since beginning the Ride of Your Life Scholarship program in 1997.