Coker University introduces Pee Dee Promise to provide 100 percent tuition coverage for qualifying students across eight counties
Affordable access initiative targets students in the Pee Dee region
Hartsville, SC (09/22/2026) — Coker University today introduced the Pee Dee Promise, an initiative that will provide 100 percent tuition coverage for qualifying students from eight local counties-making college more accessible and affordable for students in South Carolina.
"For too many Pee Dee families, the cost of college can make a four-year degree feel farther away than it should. We're removing tuition as a barrier so more students can access the education, relationships, and opportunities that can shape their future, while allowing them to stay connected to the communities that helped shape them," said Coker University President Natalie Harder.
Only 16% of adults in the Pee Dee region hold a Bachelor's degree or higher.
"Affordability creates access. Access creates opportunity. And opportunity gives students the ability to grow into who they can become," Harder said.
The Pee Dee Promise, which begins in Fall 2027, will be awarded to qualifying full-time undergraduate students with a family adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less who reside in the eight-county Pee Dee region: Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Kershaw, Lee, Marlboro, Marion, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties. Approximately 65% of Pee Dee households fall below this threshold, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The program guarantees recipients a combination of the Federal Pell Grant, other federal grants, state grants, institutional funding, and endowed scholarships that cover full tuition for 12 to 18 credits of undergraduate coursework.
"A college education is an investment in knowledge, confidence, relationships, networks, and the opportunities that come from them," Harder said. "The Pee Dee Promise makes a Coker education feel possible for students and families. It's our commitment to the future of the Pee Dee region and South Carolina."
Learn more at www.coker.edu/promise.
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