Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateSouth CarolinaIn Committee
S 1018: Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program
Jason Elliott
S 1018 status: In Committee — Referred to Committee on Education (updated Sep 1, 2026).
Source
LegiScan
Confidence
High
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
68OUT OF 100
Score:68/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 40/100
Constitutionality95%
Bipartisan85%
Public opinion75%
Bill summary
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.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Increases scholarship accessibility for students using the CLT.
- Potentially broadens the pool of qualified merit-based recipients.
- Allows for greater flexibility in demonstrating academic readiness for aid.
Risks
- Creates administrative work for the Commission on Higher Education to set equivalencies.
- Requires ongoing calibration of varying test standards against state benchmarks.
- Potential for slight variations in qualifying populations across test types.
Society
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Provides an additional pathway for students to qualify for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.
- Expands access to the LIFE Scholarship for high school graduates.
- Includes CLT scores for the Governor's Teaching Scholarship Loan Program.
Risks
- Concerns regarding comparability of test rigor between different assessments.
- Risk of inconsistent academic baseline across the scholarship recipient pool.
- Potential for public debate over the validity of different testing organizations.
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Public Health & Safety
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
LegiScan
Official bill text or data from LegiScan.
Confidence
High
Information is complete and verified.
Analysis basis
LegiScan full bill text
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
The Commission on Higher Education faces an implementation challenge in setting defensible equivalency scores across different assessment platforms.
Analysis scope
Source provided is legislative text only; lacks fiscal impact analysis.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeCurrent
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
How it affects your district
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06
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