For some Lander students, earning a degree debt-free is possible thanks to the Greenwood Promise, which helps students like Anna Rogers and Allen Laymon attend college without financial stress.
The goal of the Greenwood Promise is to increase the local workforce while assisting native Greenwood County students being able to afford postsecondary education.
After applying for state and federal aid, the program serves as a last-dollar scholarship, paying the remaining tuition and mandatory fees. In addition to offering a small number of scholarships for juniors and seniors pursuing bachelor’s degrees in high-need fields at Lander University, it fully supports technical degrees at Piedmont Technical College.
The key qualifier is that students must have lived in Greenwood County since ninth grade.
“The Greenwood Promise is a scholarship program, but it goes beyond the money,” said Nicole Herbert, director of student engagement at the Greenwood Promise. “We are just as much of a support program as we are a scholarship.”
In addition to financial assistance, the program helps students with academic guidance, career readiness resources and professional networking opportunities. Herbert said the goal is not only to help students earn degrees, but also to ensure Greenwood continues to thrive economically.
“A town doesn’t continue if you don’t have workers to fill the jobs,” said Carrie Hofmann, president and CEO of the Greenwood Promise. “By increasing the number of people with postsecondary education, we help the community grow.”
Lander University has partnered with The Greenwood Promise since the program’s beginning, though the partnership has expanded over the past three years as funding increased. Hofmann said close collaboration with various Lander departments allows the program to better identify student needs and support students more effectively.
“Partnerships are crucial,” Hofmann said. “They open doors for us, and by default, they open doors for our students.”
Currently, the Greenwood Promise supports Lander University students pursuing undergraduate degrees in education, nursing, business and STEM-related fields. Eligible majors include programs in business, information technology, computing, mathematics and the sciences. The program also supports select engineering degrees at South Carolina state-supported universities because they are not offered at Lander. Hofmann said supported majors are chosen based on Greenwood County’s workforce needs, with plans for continued expansion.
For Rogers, a junior nursing major at Lander and Greenwood native, the Greenwood Promise provided support at a critical time.
“My parents helped pay for college at first, but things changed, and scholarship money became really important,” Rogers said. “The Greenwood Promise came in right when I needed it.”
Rogers said the scholarship has allowed her to focus on coursework while working two jobs and paying for rent, utilities and other expenses. She is on track to graduate debt-free and begin her nursing career.
“That takes so much stress off,” Rogers said. “Not having to worry about tuition has made a huge difference.”
Laymon, a senior accounting major at Lander from Greenwood, said that the support from Greenwood Promise let him spend more time on his studies and preparing for his career.
“Not having to worry about paying for college means I can completely focus on my education,” Laymon said.
Laymon said he learned about the Greenwood Promise in high school and applied after discovering he qualified for full support. With his tuition covered, he said he was able to work fewer hours during college.
“A lot of students have to work full time just to pay for college,” Laymon said. “Because of the Greenwood Promise, I didn’t have to do that.”
After graduating this spring, Laymon plans to attend Clemson University to pursue a master’s degree in professional accountancy, with the goal of becoming a certified public accountant.
“The Greenwood Promise has helped me save money so I can invest in my future education,” Laymon said.
Greenwood Promise leaders stressed that the program’s success relies on ongoing community support and donations. Students can contact the program to see if they need help with financial aid or to see if they qualify.
