SC Commission on Higher Education

What SC Commission on Higher Education does

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) is the state coordinating board for public higher education in South Carolina, established in 1967 and headquartered at 1122 Lady St. in Columbia with approximately 40 employees. As a state government agency under the authority of the South Carolina General Assembly, CHE provides regulatory oversight of 33 public institutions (including research universities, comprehensive teaching institutions, and technical colleges), administers state scholarship and grant programs, and operates college access initiatives. The agency serves multiple constituencies: high school students and families navigating college applications and FAFSA completion, military service members and veterans seeking academic credit for prior learning, transfer students moving between two-year and four-year institutions, the institutions themselves for academic program approval and data reporting, and school counselors supporting college-going culture.

CHE's core technology platform is the CHE Management Information System (CHEMIS), a database providing data visualization across three domains — completions, enrollments, and scholarships — with 20 years of longitudinal data exportable in Excel and PDF formats; CHEMIS received a major upgrade in August 2025 adding interactive reporting and customizable views. The agency also operates SC TRAC (Transfer and Articulation Center) for credit mobility, the SC Military Credit for Prior Learning Advisory Board framework, and the SC CAN GO campaign encompassing College Application Month, FAFSA First, and College and Career Decision Day. In 2024, College Application Month engaged 253 high schools and 46,000+ students who submitted 85,000+ applications, while the 2025 College and Career Decision Day drew 2,300+ seniors to the State House. The 2023-24 academic year saw 910 National Guard service members receive $3.8 million through SCNG CAP and 76 students receive more than $775,000 in College Transition Program scholarships.

CHE is funded exclusively through annual appropriations from the South Carolina General Assembly and generates no commercial revenue. Its distribution model relies on institutional partnerships with all 33 public institutions, the SC Technical College System, CACRAO, SCAFAA, SC TRIO Programs, PASCAL, and external collaborators including Complete College America, the American Council on Education, and Ascendium Education Group. Recent strategic actions include South Carolina's May 2025 membership in the national Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort, the 2026 partnership with the SC Department of Veterans Affairs on a four-phase military credit training initiative, the August 2025 CHEMIS platform upgrade, the FY 2025-26 increase of the CTP Scholarship cap from $10,000 to $15,000 per student, and updates to statewide college preparatory prerequisite and exam-based credit award policies effective fall 2026. The agency is governed by a Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor, with Dr. Jeff Perez serving as President and Executive Director.

Name

SC Commission on Higher Education

Legal name

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education

Website

https://che.sc.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education is a state government agency, established in 1967, that coordinates oversight of 33 public institutions, administers scholarships, and operates college access programs (College Application Month, FAFSA First, SC TRAC, SCNG CAP) for students, families, veterans, and institutions statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Administration

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions (EDADAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Higher education oversight
• State scholarship administration
• College access programs
• Transfer articulation services
• Higher education data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: As a state government agency, CHE is funded through annual state budget appropriations from the South Carolina General Assembly. Funding supports operations, programs, and administration of higher education oversight functions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) is a state government agency that serves as the coordinating board for South Carolina's 33 public institutions of higher learning. CHE administers college access programs (SC CAN GO, College Application Month, FAFSA First, College and Career Decision Day), administers state scholarship and grant programs (LIFE, Palmetto Fellows, SCNG CAP, foster youth grants), provides transfer and articulation support through SC TRAC, licenses non-public postsecondary institutions, and maintains the CHEMIS data visualization platform for higher education analytics.

Product overview

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education operates as a state coordinating agency rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of government programs, data platforms, and policy frameworks: CHEMIS provides the primary data platform for institutional data visualization; SC CAN GO encompasses three student-facing programs (College Application Month, FAFSA First, and College and Career Decision Day) to promote college access; the Centers of Excellence Program administers teacher education grants; and various scholarship programs (HOPE, LIFE, Palmetto Fellows) provide financial assistance. Additional offerings include licensing services for non-public postsecondary institutions, transfer excellence initiatives, and military credit for prior learning programs. The agency also implements standardized exam-based credit policies covering AP, CLEP, IB, and other nationally recognized examinations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SC CAN GO: South Carolina CAN Go to College campaign promoting college access and a college-going culture
• CHEMIS
• SC Military Credit for Prior Learning (SC M-CPL)
• SCNG CAP
• FAFSA First
• College Application Month

Products and services

• SC CAN GO Comprehensive college access campaign promoting higher education for South Carolina students and families, encompassing three major programs: College Application Month (annual fall campaign helping high school seniors complete college applications), FAFSA First (free FAFSA completion assistance, formerly College Goal SC), and College and Career Decision Day (statewide rally at the State House celebrating graduating seniors' postsecondary commitments).
• CHEMIS Data Visualization Platform Interactive database providing public access to higher education data covering completions, enrollments, and scholarships with 20 years of data that can be sorted, filtered, and exported. The platform supports data visualization across three domains and serves institutional researchers, policymakers, and the public.
• SC Transfer and Articulation Center (SC TRAC) Online statewide transfer and articulation platform providing information on course equivalencies and transfer pathways between South Carolina institutions, enabling credit mobility for students transferring between two-year and four-year institutions.
• Centers of Excellence Program Competitive grant program administered by CHE awarding grants to institutions to establish hubs focused on improving teacher education and student outcomes in rural and under-resourced areas, supporting innovation in teacher preparation across South Carolina.
• SC National Guard College Assistance Program (SCNG CAP) Tuition assistance scholarship program for South Carolina National Guard members pursuing postsecondary education, providing up to $12,000 annually per service member. In the 2023-24 academic year, 910 service members received a total of $3,797,417 in assistance.
• Licensing of Non-Public Postsecondary Institutions Regulatory licensing service for non-public postsecondary institutions operating in South Carolina, with online fee payment for licensing and SC SARA State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 253 high schools participated in College Application Month 2024 with 46,000+ students submitting 85,000+ applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Francis Marion UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnered with CHE to host the 2026 Dalton and Linda Floyd Campus Safety Conference at the Carter Center for Health Sciences, bringing together higher education leaders, campus safety professionals, law enforcement, and student affairs staff.
• Clemson UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Hosted the 2026 Teaching, Leading, and Learning Exchange including the Centers of Excellence Symposium, bringing together approximately 120 participants in person and virtually for professional learning.
• Complete College AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Lead organization for the Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort, a national initiative to improve student success by modernizing how colleges recognize and transfer credit. CHE joined as an affiliated member along with Winthrop University and York Technical College.
• Ithaka S+RmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Partner organization in the Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort that developed the Holistic Credit Mobility Framework in 2022. Collaborates with CHE on credit mobility strategies and research.
• National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025NC-SARA provided grant funding to support the SC SARA Forum and Institutional Leadership Forum held in April 2025, bringing together higher education leaders to explore innovative approaches to access and affordability.
• Carolina Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (CACRAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCACRAO provides admission office personnel from colleges and universities to assist at local high school College Application Month events. CHE partners with CACRAO to guarantee college admissions representation at participating high schools during designated event weeks.
• SC Association of Financial Aid Administrators (SCAFAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCAFAA members provide staff assistance at FAFSA First events across South Carolina, helping students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid with free assistance.
• SC Technical College SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with CHE to provide manpower and volunteers for FAFSA First events and supports credit mobility initiatives including the Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort.
• SC TRIO ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRIO Programs staff assist at FAFSA First events to help students and families complete financial aid applications with free professional assistance.
• SC Higher Education Tuition Grants CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with CHE to support FAFSA First events and state scholarship administration, providing volunteers and expertise for financial aid assistance programs.
• South Carolina Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership created to align best practices and translate national frameworks into campus-level solutions for evaluating and awarding academic credit based on military learning experiences. Partnership developed training initiative for institutions across the state.
• American Council on Education (ACE) Learning EvaluationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with CHE on a four-phase training program in 2025 focused on military credit mobility, including both in-person and online elements to help institutions recognize military training and experience for academic credit.
• ACTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ACT helps recognize schools for performance in College Application Month. ACT is one of the state's standardized testing agencies and supports the American College Application Campaign recognition of outstanding schools.
• School District of Pickens CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 2026 Teaching, Leading, and Learning Exchange, hosting experiential learning sessions focused on embedding experiential learning into instructional practices.
• South Carolina Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with CHE on Centers of Excellence program and educator preparation initiatives, providing leadership and participation in the Teaching, Leading, and Learning Exchange.
• Partnership Among SC Academic Libraries (PASCAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASCAL supports academic libraries across South Carolina institutions, with CHE providing information and resources through the CHE website and facilitating collaboration among member institutions.
• Education Oversight CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with CHE on policy development including college preparatory course prerequisite policy, bringing together college English and mathematics faculty, and high school educators.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• American Council on Education (ACE): Major higher education association whose Learning Evaluations division partnered with CHE on military credit mobility training. Comparable in scale and sector influence, but ACE operates at the national association level rather than as a state regulator.
• Lumina Foundation: Private foundation setting the national Goal of 60% postsecondary attainment by 2025 and tracking state-level attainment rates including SC's 50.1%. Functions as a benchmark-setter and indirect influencer of CHE's strategic priorities rather than a direct peer.

Direct peers

• Indiana Commission for Higher Education: Indiana's state coordinating agency for higher education with similar responsibilities for institutional oversight, financial aid administration, and college access programs. Direct functional peer to SC CHE.
• Tennessee Higher Education Commission: Tennessee's coordinating body for higher education overseeing public institutions, academic program approval, and state scholarship administration. Closely analogous in mission and statutory function to SC CHE.
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: State coordinating board for public higher education in Texas with statutory authority over academic programs, formula funding, and institutional oversight. Directly comparable in mandate, scale, and governance role to SC CHE.
• Illinois Board of Higher Education: Illinois' coordinating board for higher education with statewide planning, program approval, and policy coordination duties. Comparable in regulatory and oversight function to SC CHE.
• State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV): Virginia's higher education coordinating council with policy, planning, and oversight responsibilities for public and private institutions. Functionally equivalent to SC CHE in coordinating role and scope.
• North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority: North Carolina's state agency administering financial aid, scholarship programs, and college access initiatives including CFNC. Closely comparable in scholarship administration and college access programming.

Emerging players

• National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA): Interstate reciprocity organization for state authorization of distance education. CHE is a member and recent grant funder, making NC-SARA both a peer agency in SARA-state role and a partner in higher education regulatory infrastructure.
• Complete College America: National nonprofit leading the Holistic Credit Mobility Acceleration Cohort in which CHE participates. Functions as a partner/ecosystem organization driving the credit mobility agenda that CHE implements at the state level.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCCommHigherEd
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCCommHigherEdu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sc-che
• Instagraminstagram.com/sccommhighered

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SC Commission on Higher Education