South Carolina 126th General Assembly Status: Introduced

S 1018 — A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-104-20, RELATING TO THE PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, SO AS TO ADD THE CLASSIC LEARNING TEST AS AN APPROVED ASSESSMENT FOR RECEIVING SCHOLARSHIPS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-149-50, RELATING TO THE LIFE SCHOLARSHIP, SO AS TO AMEND THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A LIFE SCHOLARSHIP TO INCLUDE ACT AND CLT SCORES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-26-20, RELATING TO THE DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "TALENTED AND QUALIFIED RESIDENT" TO INCLUDE ACT AND CLT SCORES.

Last action — Referred to Committee on Education (Senate Journal-page 9)

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced March 17, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill adds the Classic Learning Test as an option for scholarship eligibility in South Carolina.

This bill amends the Palmetto Fellows and Life Scholarship programs to include the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an approved assessment. It also updates definitions related to scholarship qualifications to incorporate ACT and CLT scores.

What this means for you
  • Students: This means more options for assessments when applying for scholarships in South Carolina.

Summary

Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

3 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill expands eligibility for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship by including Classic Learning Test scores as acceptable criteria and modifies the definition of 'talented and qualified resident'.

  • Section 59-104-20

    a minimum score of 1200 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or an equivalent ACT → a minimum score of 1200 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or an equivalent ACT or Classic Learning Test (CLT) score

    Allows students to use Classic Learning Test scores in addition to SAT or ACT scores for Palmetto Fellows Scholarship eligibility.

  • Section 59-149-50

    have scored 1100 or better on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or have the equivalent ACT → have scored 1100 or better on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or have the equivalent ACT or CLT score

    Allows for the use of Classic Learning Test scores for LIFE Scholarship eligibility.

  • Section 59-26-20

    a talented and qualified state resident' includes freshmen students who graduate in the top ten percentile of their high school class, or who receive a combined verbal plus mathematics Scholastic Aptitude Test score of at least eleven hundred, or an equivalent ACT score → a talented and qualified state resident' includes freshmen students who graduate in the top ten percentile of their high school class, or who receive a combined verbal plus mathematics Scholastic Aptitude Test score of at least eleven hundred, or an equivalent ACT or CLT score

    Includes Classic Learning Test scores in the definition of 'talented and qualified resident' for scholarship programs.

Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Education (Senate Journal-page 9)

  2. Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
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Frequently asked questions

What does S 1018 do?
Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program
Who sponsors S 1018?
S 1018 is sponsored by Senator Jason Elliott.
What is the current status of S 1018?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced March 17, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 1018?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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