The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education disclosed it underestimated its state scholarship needs by about $25 million for the current fiscal year. The shortfall is not expected to directly disrupt students because institutions already credited scholarships against tuition owed, but it will delay payments to colleges and complicate legislative budget negotiations. The commission initially projected it would need $302 million and had $2.7 million in carryover funds; it now expects roughly $330 million. The reporting also said more students earned scholarships this year—about 4,000 more—adding to the pressure. For institutions, the immediate impact is cash-flow and timing risk rather than award eligibility—yet delayed payments can still stress budgets during peak fiscal and enrollment planning.