Lawful Presence Policy

The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act of 2008 (S.C. Code Ann.59-101-430) prohibits those unlawfully in the United States from attending a public institution of higher education in South Carolina and from receiving a public higher education benefit. The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act requires all public institutions of higher education to verify that all students are lawfully present in the U.S.

Students claiming to be United States citizens can verify their citizenship status by completing either the U.S. Citizenship Verification Form or SCC admission application and must provide one of the following:

  • Valid driver's license or state-issued ID card
  • Birth certificate and state-issued ID
  • Valid passport
  • U.S. naturalization papers
  • U.S. citizenship papers
  • Completed FAFSA

Students who are not United States citizens must provide appropriate documentation and will be verified through the Department of Homeland Security's Student Exchange Visitors Information System (SEVIS) or Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database.

Students will not be able to register for classes until SCC has received their verification documents. For inquiries, contact the Admissions Office at (864) 592-4800 or email admissions@sccsc.edu.