Application available for Heritage Classic Foundation Scholar Awards
The Heritage Classic Foundation has announce the applications for the 2026 Heritage Classic Foundation Scholar Awards is available for all Beaufort and Jasper County High School Seniors.
The Heritage Classic Foundation Scholarship application is located through the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s scholarship portal. Students must create a username and password to access the application using this link: https://bit.ly/4nYcBBF.
The Heritage Classic Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, will name 11 new Scholars from the 2026 graduating class. Each Scholar will have an opportunity to receive a 4-year grant totaling up to $16,000 or $20,000, with one student receiving a one-year $4,000 grant.
To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:
1. Student must be a high school senior.
2. Student must have a 3.5 or greater unweighted GPA on the S.C. Uniform Grading Scale.
3. Student must be a legal U.S. citizen.
4. Student must be a legal resident of Beaufort or Jasper County.
5. Student’s parents/guardians combined adjusted annual income must be less than $150,000.
6. Student must enter college within one year after high school graduation.
7. Student must attend high school in Beaufort or Jasper County. We will also accept homeschooling and Governor’s School applicants.
Since this Scholar program was instituted in 1993, 397 graduating seniors have been named Heritage Scholars. These grants, to a college of the student’s choice, have totaled more than $5.56 million.
All applications must be completed by Jan. 15, 2026.
The 2026 Scholars will be recognized at the 58th annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing to be conducted over the Harbour Town Golf Links, April 13-19, 2026.
Kapinos elected to Phi Kappa Phi
Joseph Kapinos of Beaufort, S.C., was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at Auburn University At Montgomery.
Kapinos is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.
Roberts makes Chancellor’s List at Lionel
Beaufort’s Megan Roberts earned a place on the Chancellor’s List for Summer 2025, Lionel University’s highest academic distinction. Achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA in Undergraduate coursework is an extraordinary accomplishment.
This honor reflects your discipline, focus, and commitment to excellence. You’ve demonstrated what is possible when determination meets hard work, and we’re proud to recognize your achievement.
Keep believing in your potential-you’re building a powerful future.
Lionel University, in Carpinteria, Calif., is the only fully accredited, 100% online university solely dedicated to exercise science.
Polaris Tech Charter School makes gains on State Report Card
Polaris Tech Charter School improved in several important categories of the S.C. State Report Card for 2024-2025 and recorded “Excellent” ratings for graduation rate and college and career readiness. The elementary and middle grades both improved to “Good” ratings for student progress at the 500-student school in Ridgeland, SC.
“We celebrate the small victories but at the same time we acknowledge the challenges,” said Gen. (ret.) Lloyd “Fig” Newton, chair of the Polaris Tech Board of Directors.
“As a school and as part of the Lowcountry community, we believe we are putting in place the programs that will continue to boost student achievement in all grades, such as the in-school tutoring service we expanded this year using several grants,” he said.
Perhaps most importantly, students in elementary and middle school grades at Polaris Tech improved substantially in student progress, with both earning the “Good” rating for 2025.
At all three grade levels at Polaris Tech, multi-lingual learners’ progress improved from Below Average in 2023-24 to Average last year.
The “Overall” ratings for Polaris Tech included “Average” for the high school and middle grades, and “Below Average” for the elementary grades in 2025.
