New Program Helps SC College Students Secure Jobs and Eliminate Debt
January 1, 2024
South Carolina Student Loan™, a private, nonprofit lender, has launched a new program, BOLD™ Career Pathways, that connects college students and employers across the state of South Carolina. The innovative loan program provides jobs and debt repayment to students pursuing higher education and creates a pipeline to in-demand talent for participating employers.
The BOLD™ Career Pathways loan is available to any student attending a 2-year or 4-year college or university in South Carolina seeking financial assistance for their last two years of education, as well as recent graduates. The program connects these students with interested employers in their area of study. If the student and employer agree to post-graduate employment, the employer pays the loan that the student uses to cover educational expenses. There is also a refinance loan option for recent graduates.
Ensuring access to affordable higher education is paramount for the future of our workforce. This new program, coupled with the BOLD Career Pathways Nursing Faculty Program, will incentivize and enable South Carolinians to pursue high-demand careers, helping to address our workforce shortages and further strengthen our economy.
— Governor Henry McMaster
Trey Simon, CEO at South Carolina Student Loan™, echoed those sentiments. "In South Carolina, more and more students in pursuit of higher education are seeking job opportunities prior to completing their studies. Simultaneously, employers within the state are persistently striving to attract and keep skilled individuals," Simon remarked. "Through BOLD™ Career Pathways, we are fostering economic development in South Carolina and enhancing accessibility to higher education by facilitating connections between employers and students," he added.
Already, employers in South Carolina have recognized the integral role that BOLD Career Pathways can play in attracting top talent in areas of need. Seventeen hospitals, including McLeod Health, Conway Medical Center, Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, and more than 20 colleges and universities, are current partners of the program.
"BOLD™ Career Pathways has been instrumental in providing our hospital system with high-quality nurses," said David Castleberry, CEO at Carolina Pines. "We look forward to our continued partnership with South Carolina Student Loan through this program."
As the program's success grows, opportunities for related programs in niche market areas have grown, too. The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and South Carolina Student Loan recently expanded BOLD Career Pathways to address South Carolina's nursing shortage.
The BOLD™ Career Pathways Nursing Faculty Loan Program, made possible by an allocation from the South Carolina General Assembly, provides eligible students up to $90,000 toward a graduate-level nursing degree in exchange for filling a faculty role for a minimum of two years in a South Carolina public college or university offering nursing educator positions.
"The BOLD™ Career Pathways Nursing Faculty Loan Program exemplifies our state's commitment to the nursing profession and to the health of South Carolina's citizens," said Rusty L. Monhollon, President and Executive Director of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. "By supporting participants' attainment of nursing educator credentials through this innovative collaboration, the program alleviates financial barriers for individuals while also contributing to a deep, committed pipeline of qualified faculty to train our next generation of nurses.
Students and employers interested in the BOLD Career Pathways or the Nursing Faculty Loan programs can learn more at www.scstudentloan.org/career-pathways.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA STUDENT LOAN:
Since 1973, South Carolina Student Loan™ has helped make education more accessible to South Carolina residents and students attending schools in the state by offering financial support to help cover the cost of tuition, books, housing, meals, and other educational expenses. A nonprofit with industry-leading interest rates, South Carolina Student Loan™ is invested in the outcomes of its borrowers and the workforce in South Carolina, which is evident in innovative programs like BOLD Career Pathways that connect students with statewide employers who help cover education costs and provide those students with jobs. Learn more at scstudentloan.org.
