Dear Sand Shark Family Members,
Welcome to USCB! We are so glad that your students have chosen to attend USCB. We understand what a valuable role you play in your student’s academic journey. Our students do not attend USCB alone, they bring all of your support and guidance with them. We also know that the transition to college is just as difficult for our student’s families as it is for them.
We hope that USCB’s Family programs will support you in this big transition and assist you in supporting your student to thrive at USCB. On this page, you will find information about our Family Newsletter, upcoming family events, frequently ask questions, and resources to support you.
The Office of New Student and Transition Programs exists to answer your questions and be a resource. Please do not hesitate to reach out. You can reach us by emailing family@uscb.edu or by calling 843-208-8024. Please let us know if there is anything you need!
Fins Up!
Laura Bessent
Director of New Student and Transition Programs
USCB Family Events
Family Weekend
We are excited to announce the schedule for Family Weekend 2024!
*schedule is subject to change
Family Weekend Ticket Sales are Now Closed- Please call 843-208-8024 if you have questions.
Ticket Pricing
Adults 13+: $40.00 each
Children 5-12: $20.00 each
Children Under 5: FREE
USCB Students: attend Family Weekend with their ticketed family member free of charge.
Ticketing will open by the end of the day on Wednesday, September 4th. The deadline to purchase tickets or request refunds will be Sunday, September 29th.
All tickets include the Welcome Reception on Friday, October 4th, Brunch with a Purpose on Saturday, Oct 5th, Dinner at the Chancellor's Cookout, a sweet treat at Bingo, and an excursion for the entire family.
The Excursion options are listed below in the Excursion Information section. You will receive a link to select your excursion within 1 business day of completing your ticket purchase. For questions email family@uscb.edu.
Family Weekend Welcome Guide
Detailed Family Weekend Schedule
- Welcome Reception
Friday, October 4th | 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Beaufort Campus, 1100 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC
Join us to kick off Family Weekend on our historic Beaufort campus! We will have music from the band La Bodega, games and food. We will have a photographer available to take family photos. Our Marine Science Program will be offering lab tours and our Honors program will showcase their projects and activities. - 30th Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival
Friday & Saturday, October 4th & 5th
Downtown Beaufort
Savor the best fresh-caught shrimp in the world during the 30th Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival, featuring unique shrimp dishes from the region's foremost restaurants and chefs. Admssion to the shrimp festival is free. You can choose to receive Shrimp Festival Food tickets as your excursion option. - Student Emergency Fund Pickleball Tournament
Saturday, October 5th | 9:00am - 3:00pm
Bluffton Campus tennis courts
Free event for spectators/$25.00 participation fee per team
This is our 1st Annual Student Emergency Fund Pickleball Tournament. Family Members who wish to participate can add the tournament on during the ticket purchasing process. 100% of the funds will go to the Student Emergency Fund. Beginners can arrive at 8:00 AM for a quick practice session and instruction from our tournament organizer, Josh Josey.
If you don’t wish to play, you can come and watch the action and cheer your fellow USCB Family Members on.
The rain location for this event will be 1100 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
- Brunch with Purpose
Saturday, October 5th | 10:00am - 2:00pm
Bluffton Campus Sand Bar Dining Hall
Ticketed Event
Saturday, October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day! We plan to celebrate of the Brunch with Purpose event. Come to the Sand Bar Dining Hall for an amazing brunch. Then take the opportunity to learn about what service at USCB looks like.
We will have drop off locations for our Student Pantry, the Shark Shack and our Career Closet. You can find a list of pantry needs here. You can find out more about the service-oriented activities USCB offers students and take part in some service yourself!
- Nursing Simulation Lab ExperienceSaturday, October 5th | 10:00am - 12:00pm
Bluffton Campus SciTech 260
Free Event-Reservation Required
USCB Nursing Faculty will run four 20 minute simulations that show you what our nursing students are learning in lab to prepare for the clinical setting. A reservation is required. There is a strict 10 person cap per session. You can reserve your spot here.
- Sand Shark Baseball Intersquad Game
Saturday, October 5th | 11:00am - 3:00pm
Richard Gray Sports Complex, 205 Main Street, Hardeeville
Free Event
Come watch Sand Sharks Baseball prepare for the 2024-25 season with this intersquad match-up. Entrance is free to all USCB guests. - Student Research and Scholarship Day Hall of Champions
Saturday, October 5th | 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Bluffton Campus - Hargray lobby
Free Event
Each spring our students are invited to participate in Student Research & Scholarship Day (SRSD) which showcases the research and scholarship activities of USCB students. In preparation for SRSD, students join with faculty mentors to produce research and scholarship. Students can enter their research to win awards in a variety of categories. Winners of the 2024 SRSD Poster Competition will be on display in Hargray Lobby. You can find more information about SRSD here. - USCB Society of Creative Writers The Pen Reading
Saturday, October 5th | 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Bluffton Campus - Hargray 156
Free Event
The Pen is a six-time national award-winning literary journal sponsored by USCB’s student-led organization, the Society of Creative Writers. It is produced under the English, Arts, & Interdisciplinary Studies department at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and is advised by Dr. Ellen Malphrus. This publication features creative works from students across all three of USCB's campuses. Accepted submissions include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, music, and visual arts of all types.
During this event students who have submitted work to the Pen in the past or whose work is about to be published will read some of their poems and stories. You can find more information and past editions of The Pen here.
- USCB First Annual First-Year Tree Planting Ceremony
Saturday, October 5th | 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Bluffton Campus - Campus Center Lawn
Free Event
What life lessons can be learned from a tree? That is a question our first-year students will be pondering in UNIV B101 this fall. We worked with Norman Varnes who is the inaugural recipient of the Norman Varnes Service to USCB Award and greenhouse and groundskeeper for USCB to put together a lesson for our students to think about what they need to grow and thrive at USCB, just like the tree they will help plant at this event.
At the Tree Planting Ceremony different students from the first-year class will share the lessons they have learned from the Palm Tree lesson. This tree will be here, not just for the 4 years they attend USCB, but forever.
- Chancellor's Family Cookout
Saturday, October 5th | 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Bluffton Campus - Campus Center Lawn
Ticketed Event
Join our Chancellor and Vice Chancellors for a family picnic. Dining is bringing out the grill to provide a delicious meal for the USCB Family. We will have lawn games, music and pumpkin painting. - Family Weekend Bingo
Saturday, October 5th | 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Bluffton Campus - Campus Center Lawn
Ticketed Event
Everybody loves Bingo! Come ready to play with your student. We will have a variety of prizes from USCB swag for our family members and dorm room essentials for your students. A sweet treat will be provided.
Detailed Family Weekend Excursions Information
One Included in Family Weekend Ticket
Excursions are an extra activity that you get to do with your student that allows you to really experience the home of USCB- Beaufort, SC. Each ticketed family member and their student gets to choose ONE excursion. This year we have 4 excursions options for you to choose from and details are included below. Please note that some of these options have limited spots and they are first-come, first serve.
- Tales of the Lowcountry Ghost Tour- SOLD OUT
Friday, October 4th | 7:00pm - 8:00pm
1002 Bay St. Beaufort, SC 29902 - Shrimp Festival Tickets
Friday & Saturday, October 4th & 5th
Downtown Beaufort
$12 worth of tickets that can be used to taste some of Beafort County's best seafood. Adult tickets/student tickets. ($10 for Children 5-12 & $6 for Children under 5) - Fripp Island Sunset Cruise ($10 upcharge)- SOLD OUT
Friday, October 4th | 5:00pm - 7:00pm
300 Tarpon Blvd, Fripp Island, SC 29920
Heavy snacks will be served on board! - Glow Country Mini Golf
Friday - Sunday, October 4th - 6th
46 Robert Smalls Pkwy, Beaufort, SC 29906
Family Weekend Packet Pick Up
Every family that purchases tickets will have a packet prepared for them under their student's name which will include all passes, meal tickets, excursion tickets, and any other information needed to participate in Family Weekend.
Those packets can be picked up on Thursday, October 3rd from 12:00-5:00 PM in Library 202 (the Student Success Center) on the Bluffton Campus or on Friday, October 4th from 1:00-5:00 PM at the 1100 Boundary Courtyard on the Beaufort Campus. If other arrangements need to be made for packet pickup, please email family@uscb.edu by Wednesday, October 2nd at noon.
We understand that some students may have different family structures and may need two packets prepared. If this is the case, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.
Where to Stay for Family Weekend!
USCB has partnered with hotels in the Beaufort and Bluffton areas to provide you with a discounted rate for your Family Weekend Stay!
Beaufort
- Tru by Hilton, 3664 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort, SC 29906- Type Code 3288419 into the Corporate Account Box under Special Rates
Bluffton
- Hampton Inn, 29 William Pope Dr, Bluffton, SC 29909- Use Code 003150650
- Extended Stay America, 108 Seagrass Station Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910- Call 843-936-8838 and mention USCB during booking
Hilton Head
- Hilton Garden Inn, 1575 Fording Island Road, Hilton Head, SC 29926- Use USCB Booking Link
USCB Family Orientation
At USCB we understand how important families are in the lives of our students. We also know sending your student to college is as much a transition for you as it is for them. This is why offer sessions for families during our Optional Summer Orientation Program Sand Shark Boot Camp.
You can find out more information about Sand Shark Boot Camp here.
Letter to Our Sand Shark Program
College can be difficult and sometimes our student just need to know that they have the support of their loved ones. Write a letter to your Sand Shark and will send it to them during midterms! All family members who attend one of our in-person events will have the opportunity to write their Sand Shark a post card. We know that not all of our student's family members have the opportunity to travel so you can also submit your letter eletronically here.
Family Resources
The USCB Family Newsletter is a resource to keep family members up to date about what is going on around campus and provides families with tips for supporting their student. The newsletter goes out monthly during the fall and spring semesters and once over the summer. You can sign up to receive the newsletter using our USCB Family Listserv Registration Form.
USCB Family Newsletter Archive
- Sand Shark Families 101- As you might anticipate your relationship with your student
may change after they start college. Here are a few tips to make that transition easier
for you!
- Attend the Family Info Session either in-person or virtually before your students starts USCB and come to as many of our Family Events listed in our events section as you can. This will help you keep in touch with your student and their academic journey.
- Sign up for a read our monthly Family Newsletter so you are up to date on what is going on on campus.
- Don’t forget about FERPA! Many parents and family members want to find out their student's grades, ask about their student's performance, or check on their student's finances. Access to all of these is protected under the federal Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), which places limits on the right to review educational records. Once students are enrolled, regardless of age, you will not have access to their educational information unless your student specifically grants it to you.
- Talk with your student about money early and often. Help them setup a budget so they can practice good financial wellness. If your student is going to need a job they can start their search on our Career Services Webpage.
- Treat your student as an adult. When they come to you with problems, help them problem solve a solution. Suggest they reach out to resources on campus that can help them.
- Keep up with our Academic Calendar each semester so you can keep up with important dates.
- Be aware that course load and rigor changes from high school to college, and even college to college. Courses may be more demanding at USCB and students' grades may vary from what they are used to. Remind your student of the great resources and services USCB has to offer.
- Where to stay- Beaufort County is a wonderful place to visit. Here we have listed
some of our favorite hotels that offer great rates to our USCB family.
- Beaufort
Tru by Hilton, 3664 Trask Pkwy, Beaufort, SC 29906 - Type Code 3288419 into the Corporate Account Box under Special Rates - Bluffton
Hampton Inn, 29 William Pope Dr, Bluffton, SC 29910 - Use Code 003150650
Extended Stay America, 108 Seagrass Station Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910 - Call 843-936-8838 and mention USCB during booking - Hilton Head
Hilton Garden Inn, 1575 Fording Island Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 - Use USCB Booking Link
- Beaufort
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Glossary of terms- College is a new world with a lot of new lingo. Your student may come home on break and you may feel like they are speaking a new language. USCB has put together a guide of commonly used terms in college to help you speak their language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bursar's Office
If the student has accepted all terms and conditions and has completed all necessary steps in receiving their financial aid, it will automatically apply towards the students tuition bill.
Yes, but a student will have to save their checking account as a saved payment method on their SSC account, and have the account verified prior to using the account to pay for tuition and fees.
Login to your SSC account, Select Account Information, then Payment Gateway, then select on Authorized users.
Career Services
Handshake is USCB’s career management system. Students can claim their accounts, create their profiles, and search for job opportunities.
Your student can set up an appointment through Handshake in the career services section of their account.
USCB Career Services has resources available to assist students creating resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. These resources can be accessed through Handshake in the career services section of their account.
Students can set up mock interview appointments through their Handshake account in the career services section. Students may also take advantage of Big Interview, an online interviewing tutorial system.
USCB Career Services has many resources for students on the Career Services website. Be sure to have your student check the Upcoming Events page to be up-to-date about on campus and virtual recruiting activities!
Counseling an Accessibility Services
Yes, all currently enrolled students have access to free counseling at USCB. Information about how to access Counseling Services can be found here.
Our office of Accessibility Services supports students who are eilgible for accomodations. Information about how to register for accomdations can be foud here.
Financial Aid
You have to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you are eligible for Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Federal Work Study and Student Loans. Many scholarships require a FAFSA to be on file with the school to determine eligibility.
- The Financial Aid/VA office uses the USCB Admissions application to determine institutional scholarship eligibility. There are initial eligibility criteria a student must meet to qualify. These scholarships are offered until funds are depleted, usually by March of each year.
- All students can apply for the USCB Donor Scholarships. The online application is available in early January and closes March 1.
- Studentaid.gov is a great source for finding external scholarships. https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/scholarships
You can view your financial aid offer on Self Service Carolina (SSC). Select Financial Aid> Financial Aid Dashboard>Award Year>USC BFT Campus>Award Offer Tab.
The Bursar’s office will make your bill available to view in Self Service Carolina. To access your billing information, select Account Information>Account Detail for Term. Once all aid has been accepted and requirements have been completed, aid will be shown as memoed/authorized. The memoed/authorized aid will reduce the amount of the bill and a balance will be displayed.
A parent can opt to apply for a Federal Parent PLUS loan at studentaid.gov. to assist with the expense. A private loan is another option.
The FAFSA is the application for Federal Student Loans . There are two types of Federal Student Loans, subsidized and unsubsidized.
- A federal subsidized student loan is offered to eligible students who demonstrate financial need as determined by the Student Aid Index (SAI). The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on subsidized loans while the student is in school.
- A federal unsubsidized student loan is offered to all FAFSA eligible students. The interest begins to accrue once the first disbursement is made to the school.
Housing and Student Conduct
Move-in day for Fall 2024 is Saturday, August 17th for all incoming students.
Bluffton Campus
Resident's Name
13 South Campus Drive
Resident's Mailbox Number
Bluffton, SC 29909
Beaufort Campus
Resident's Name
801 Carteret Street
Resident's Box Number
Beaufort, SC 29902
Yes all USCB residence halls allow guests and overnight visitation. For overnight guests, a form must be completed (including guest vehicle information if driving), signed by all roommates and returned to housing 24 hours before your guest arrives. A "guest" is described as anyone who does not live in that apartment. Overnight guest forms are available in the Housing Office during business hours.
Registrar's Office
Cap & Gown purchases are handled through our Bookstore. A Grad Fair is hosted by the Bookstore, however students who cannot attend the Grad Fair may still purchase regalia online. More information about purchasing cap & gowns can be found here.
USCB holds a Commencement ceremony at the end of each Fall & Spring semester. Students who are finishing degree requirements in the Summer semester have the option participate in our Spring ceremony or our Fall ceremony. More information about Commencement can be found here.
Semester Honor Lists are posted on our website here.
FERPA stands for The Family Education Rights & Privacy Act of 1974. This legislation regulates the release of and access to student records. Under FERPA there are certain data that is considered Public/Directory Information and some that are considered Private Information. Data that is considered Private Information may not be shared with any individual other than the student. A student may grant access to an individual by completing our Release of Student Information Form. More can be learned about FERPA here.
Official transcripts are handled and processed through the Registrar’s Office at the UofSC Columbia campus for the entire UofSC System. Students can order an official transcript through their Self-Service Carolina. More information can be found here.