School Counseling

The Office of School Counseling (OSC) is a safe space for students and an active hub of activity and information. Counseling is available for all students and the OSC members assist students with course selection, college and career planning, and general wellbeing. The Director of School Counseling guides students through college and scholarship applications. Our Academic Assistance Coordinator oversees the design and implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) and 504 plans. The OSC also supports all Govies in their transition to the school and through any academic and artistic challenges.

Graduation Requirements & Course Selection

South Carolina Diploma Requirements

4 Credits - English / Language Arts
4 Credits - Mathematics
3 Credits - Science
1 Credit - U.S. History and Constitution
.5 Credit - Economics and Personal Finance
.5 Credit - American Government
1 Credit - Other Social Studies
1 Credit - Physical Education or JROTC or Marching Band with PE
1 Credit - Computer Science
1 Credit - World Language or Career & Technology Education
.5 Credit - Personal Finance
6.5 Credits - Electives

24 Credits in Total

Please see the Course Selection Guide for additional information on course selection and policies. The OSC works with high schools statewide (public, private, virtual and home) to transfer credits earned to your SCGSAH transcript.

College Admission Requirements

Given our size and scope SCGSAH does not offer PE, IT Fundamentals, or Health in our regular class schedule. Govies routinely take PE, Health, and IT Fundamentas on VirtualSC, either over the summer or during the school year as part of their regular schedules. We provide information on registration deadlines and proctor exams or connect students with an online exam option. If a course is offered in our school and fits into a reasonable course load, we require our students to take the course in person with us. In extenuating circumstances, the Office of School Counseling will consider individual requests for additional online coursework

IGP Information

All students and their parents or legal guardians are required by the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) to meet with their School Counselor to develop and annually update an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP). IGPs allow students to identify their post-graduation goals and support them with academic course selection. During the 30 minute IGP conference, students and parents identify post-graduation goals based on the educational requirements of their chosen career path.

Please see the 2025 - 2026 Course Selection Guide for additional information on course selection and policies.

VirtualSC

Academic Assistance

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities complies with all state and federal guidelines regarding the special needs of students, including but not limited to PL 94-142, PL 93-112, Section 504, Title VII, Title IX, and all amendments and updates.

Please notify the school’s Academic Assistance Coordinator, Desiree Williams, at desireewilliams@scgsah.org regarding special accommodations, IEPs, psychological evaluation, etc., in a timely fashion.

The school makes every effort to provide ESL (English as a Second Language) services as well as tutoring options as needed for state, district, and national testing.

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sex, creed, gender, national origin, immigrant status, sexual orientation, or English-speaking status.

College & Career

College Preparation & Application Timelines

Paying for College

There is a considerable amount of college financial aid available for students with demonstrated need. Both the amount of this aid and the type of aid programs are changing. In addition, many colleges are adding a merit consideration to grants beyond straight need criteria. Nevertheless, aid may be available to you even if you believe your income and assets may not fall within qualifying ranges. If in doubt, the financial aid officers of the colleges to which you are applying are usually happy to give you advice.

There are now two national processors which determine your financial need. The most widely used is the CSS (College Scholarship Service/Financial Aid Profile) in Princeton, New Jersey. Further information is available at www.collegeboard.com.

You should also utilize the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Their website is www.studentaid.ed.gov. You will need to check to see which service is used by a particular institution. In addition, some colleges may require that you submit substantiating documents.
The college will then award aid based on whatever guidelines it follows in light of your demonstrated need.

Generally, this aid will consist of some outright grants, some loans, and some student work. The distribution of this aid package will vary considerably from college to college, and it should factor into decisions on which school to attend.
You will also need to be careful about what figure is used by the college to determine its cost. Some colleges will grant you aid to meet only tuition, room, and board, while others will also include the “hidden” costs of books, transportation, etc. For those families applying to private colleges in South Carolina, there is a South Carolina tuition state grant program. This grant must be applied for separately from the application through a national processor, such as
FAFSA.

The OSC and colleges themselves can provide you with more information about scholarships and financial aid during the fall when the forms for the coming year are available. In the meantime, don’t preclude your child from investigating the possibility of a college because of its cost. It may not be beyond reach.

Helpful Websites:
Scholarships
College and Career Corner
Life, Palmetto, and Hope Scholarships
The eligibility of students who will be attending a postsecondary school in South Carolina for Life, Palmetto, and Hope scholarship consideration is determined by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Check the following website for updates: www.che.sc.gov and click on Scholarships and Grants for SC. Under each, click Q&A for more details.

College Fair and College Visits

College Fair

Our college fair is typically the last weekend of September. It helps students and their families learn more about their college options. Participating colleges set up booths across campus so students can ask questions and pick up information about the school.

If you are a college / university interested in participating in the SCGSAH annual college fair please email Addy Villanti at addyvillanti@scgsah.org

College Rep Visits

College rep Visits are when a college admissions rep comes to our campus to meet with students in small groups and talk about academic programs, campus life, financial aid and admissions procedures. College rep visits will be posted in the Schoology events calendar.

If you are a college / university representative interested in visiting the SCGSAH campus please email Addy Villanti at addyvillanti@scgsah.org

College Visits

Students and parents are encouraged to plan college visits and auditions during weekends and school holidays whenever possible. Seniors are allowed four excused absences for college visits, which must be taken prior to April 15. In order to be excused, all college visits and auditions must be approved at least two weeks in advance. For local colleges and schools, partial day visits will be approved. Full day visits will only be approved when required. Parents/guardians will submit a request to the attendance coordinator, who will forward the request to the art department chair and dean for approval.

Students are responsible for coordinating missed work with respective faculty members prior to their absence(s).

Testing

PSAT: The PSAT is the qualifying test that juniors must take to enter National Merit, Achievement, and Hispanic Scholarship Corporation competitions for scholarships that will be awarded during the student’s senior year. The PSAT measures skills that are important for success in college—verbal reasoning, critical reading, math problem solving, and writing.

SAT: The SAT is a measure of a student’s ability to use learned skills and concepts in a timed test. Through extensive testing, the SAT has been shown to have a positive correlation to a student’s success in the freshman year of college, especially when viewed in conjunction with a student’s academic performance.

ACT: The best indication of how well you will do in college is a measure of how well you can perform the skills necessary for college coursework. The ACT Assessment measures these skills in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. These areas are tested because they include the major areas of instruction in most high school and college programs.

EOCEP: The Education Accountability act of 1998 requires the development of end-of-course examinations in gateway or benchmark courses for grades nine through twelve. These examinations, which count as 20% of the student’s final grades, include Biology, English II and U.S. History. Each exam will be administered at the end of the semester in which they are scheduled to complete the course.

AP: Students in South Carolina who are enrolled in an AP course are expected to take the AP test associated with the course. These tests are administered at no cost to the student.

Career Readiness - WIN: State and federal accountability legislation mandates that students complete designated college and career readiness assessments during their junior year of high school.

Test Prep Resources: Test Prep Resources

Fee Waiver Requests: Requests for Fee Waivers must be made through the Office of School Counseling for SAT and ACT testing and for college applications.

Important Dates

Thursday, February 26 - ACT

Wednesday, March 11- SAT

Thursday, April 9 - WIN: Career Readiness Assessment

Monday, April 20 - Start of Seal of Biliteracy exams

Monday, April 27 - Start of EOC exams

Monday May 4 - Start of AP Exams

Wednesday, May 20 - Last day of classes

Thursday, May 21

Graduation rehearsal and other senior activities
Celebration of Achievement

Friday, May 22 - Graduation

For Records, Transcripts & Verification Requests

Current students and Alumni can request transcripts via Parchment.com
Other requests for records, verification of enrollment and verification of education can be sent to Luigi Bentley at luigibentley@scgsah.org

Contact OSC

864-282-3787
schoolcounseling@scgsah.org

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