Jordan Addison knew she would attend college, but she wasn't sure could do it without taking on a lot of student loan debt.

The University of South Carolina freshman is one of 125 first-year students who landed a scholarship from the university's Gamecock Guarantee program this year.

The program guarantees free tuition and fees for four years for South Carolina students from very low-income families who meet all of the university's entrance requirements. It also provides support services to students, many of whom are among the first generation in their families to attend college.

University leaders said they rolled out the program slowly, bringing in 86 students last fall and 125 this year, but they are ready to expand. And they are hoping to bring in more students from the Lowcountry and along the Interstate 95 corridor.

"It's wonderful. It's a great help to me and my family," said Addison, a Stratford High School graduate from Goose Creek. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with a 3.8 grade-point average.

The program doesn't require a separate application, said Scott Verzyl, USC's assistant vice provost for enrollment management. Students simply apply to the university, which has a priority application deadline of Dec. 1. They must also complete a federal financial aid application, he said.

Read more in Monday's editions of The Post and Courier.

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