May 11, 2023
The South Carolina State Fair is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of its annual Ride of Your Life Scholarship program. For the first time in more than a decade, the S.C. State Fair increased its total scholarship investment to $500,000 — awarding each recipient with $10,000. In addition, thanks to the generosity of Circle K stores, the S. C. State Fair will award a bonus scholarship this year, for a total of 51 scholarships. The complete list of recipients can be found at https://www.scstatefair.org/scholarships/2023-scholarship-recipients/.
“We are thrilled to announce the 51 recipients of our 2023 college scholarships and to invest in the future of these bright and talented students,” Nancy Smith, S.C. State Fair general manager. “At the South Carolina State Fair, we are proud to support higher education, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact these scholars will have on our state and beyond.”
Each year, the South Carolina State Fair, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, awards 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 individual scholarship amount increased this year from $7,500 to $10,000. 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.
“We were extremely pleased with the volume of applications we received this year,” says Smith. “Not only are we honored to support our students in South Carolina, but this program is also special because we are able to invest in our state’s colleges and universities — with funds staying in South Carolina.”
The S.C. State Fair has a long history of supporting education, and the scholarship program is just one of the many ways in which the organization gives back to the community. Since the inception of the Ride of Your Life program in 1997, the S.C. State Fair has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships.
This year’s recipients were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants from across the state. Scholarship recipients are representative from all seven of South Carolina’s congressional districts. 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. 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.
Save the date! This year’s S.C. State Fair will take place October 11-22, 2023. Carolina Lights, Columbia’s only drive-through holiday light show, is scheduled for December 8-24, 2023.
Media outlets: Click here to access the scholarships press kit.
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. In addition to the 12-day South Carolina State Fair, the charitable organization manages annual football parking, is a popular event venue and hosts Carolina Lights — Columbia’s downtown holiday drive-through lights show. The South Carolina State Fair has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships since 1997.
