For more than a century, the SCBA has been blessed with the strong support of its member institutions and their employees. The Bankers Association believes offering scholarships to deserving children of bank employees helps demonstrate both its appreciation to member banks and their employees. It also serves as a means for building a path to a better, more prosperous South Carolina.
The SCBA understands that many students today often find themselves burdened by significant debt upon graduation. By offering scholarships to children of bank employees, the SCBA seeks to help students pursue higher education while also laying the foundation for the next generation of South Carolina’s leaders. Each Palmetto Scholarship awards $1,000.
Additionally, the SCBA Board of Directors is honoring the memory of two members of the South Carolina banking family whose lives were tragically taken during a bank robbery in 2017. We have established two $2,500 scholarships named after Katie Skeen and Donna Major of CresCom Bank. The Palmetto Scholarship Committee will select two individuals from the pool of applicants who will receive the “Katie Skeen Palmetto Scholarship” and the “Donna Major Palmetto Scholarship.”
To be considered for a SCBA Palmetto Scholarship students must:
- Be a resident of South Carolina;
- Be a rising junior or rising senior in COLLEGE, in South Carolina (must be an accredited four-year college or university in South Carolina);
- Have a parent/legal guardian who lives in South Carolina and works for a SCBA member bank, bank holding company, or wholly owned subsidiary in South Carolina OR [the student] be a part-time employee at a member bank working a minimum of 20 hours per week;
- Have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
- Be active in his or her school and community, demonstrate a solid work ethic, and possess strong leadership abilities, good teamwork and a desire to succeed; and
- Submit a resume and letter of recommendation from a dean or professor when completing the online application. Part-time employees of a member bank must have a letter of recommendation from senior management.
The submission process for consideration in the SCBA Palmetto Scholarship involves:
- Completing the electronic application (handwritten and/or incomplete applications will not be processed),
- Upload a resume, and
- Upload a letter of recommendation from a dean or professor. (Part-Time Employee: a letter of recommendation from Sr. Management)
How to Apply
Applications are accepted January – March of each year. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS NOW WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2020! The application will close at the end of that day. To apply, the student will click on the application link at the top right of this page.
Once the application closes each year, the Scholarship Committee will review and grade all applications and the students will be notified in the spring. A dessert reception and check presentation will be held in May. Stay tuned for more details on that event!
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the SCBA Palmetto Scholarship, please contact Caroline Snijders by emailing csnijders@scbankers.org or calling (803) 779-0850.