Power:Ed announces $1.3 million in grants to nearly 30 nonprofits

Power:Ed presents a donation of $50,000 to AnMed Foundation on Feb. 12, 2026. Pictured from left to right: Ray Jones, Thornton Kirby, Neil Grayson, Ann Skinner, Trey Simon, Dr. Renee Mognahan, Dr. Stoney Abercrombie, Tim Self, Gautum Ghatnekar, Claire Gibbons, and Willie Jeffries.

The funding targets critical community needs, including job training, work-based learning for students, and scholarship opportunities.

 Power:Ed, the philanthropy arm of South Carolina Student Loan Corporation, announced today that it has awarded more than $1.3 million in grant funding to 26 nonprofit organizations across South Carolina for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The funding represents a major investment in educational initiatives, scholarship programs, and workforce development. The FY2025-26 grant funding provided:

• $97,000 to national non-profit Impact Justice to support the first-of-its-kind vertical farm job training program in a South Carolina prison, providing job training, job placement, stipends, and fresh produce to the incarcerated women at Camille Graham Correctional Center in Columbia.
• $79,000 to Trent Hill Center for Children & Families, a rural non-profit in Hartsville, to support its Independent Living Skills Program, which assists youth and young adults as they age out of the foster care system.
• $32,500 to Francis Marion University Foundation and $50,000 to South Carolina State University Foundation to help retain or award scholarship opportunities to students.
• $80,000 to Sight Savers America to provide high-tech vision aids to students with severe visual impairment and blindness. These funds assisted 30 middle and high-school-age children with devices that can range from $900 to $4,500, making them cost prohibitive for many families. The devices enable them to complete homework, study, and become career ready.

“Investing in these programs extends our mission to help students pursue their educational goals and become workforce ready,” said Trey Simon, President & CEO of South Carolina Student Loan Corporation. “Through Power:Ed, we’re honored to help these organizations amplify their impact and drive meaningful change across South Carolina.”

Power:Ed invests in a broad range of educational efforts led by South Carolina organizations and academic institutions with a focus on supporting low-income, underserved, and first-generation students. As a philanthropic program, it is funded by South Carolina Student Loan Corporation, a nonprofit making education more accessible through low-interest loans. SC Student Loan reinvests the proceeds it receives from student loans back into educational programs that support access to education attainment, strengthen financial literacy, and boost career readiness across the state.

To view the complete list of FY2025-26 grant recipients and learn more about Power:Ed’s community investments, visit power-ed.org.