Jordan is a high school junior who is looking forward to his senior year. His current schedule consists of English, social studies, math, and a few electives. During his senior year, he expects the same type of classes. He also does not know if he wants to go to college, so that decision is still forming.
Fast forward to the start of his senior year, and he notices something new. He notices it because he is considering postsecondary education and has struggled with literacy.
Then he sees a new literacy remediation course.
H.3197: “Section 59-29-245. (A) The State Department of Education is directed to ensure that all public high schools, including charter high schools, provide academic remediation courses in high school literacy and mathematics for students in the senior year of high school who desire to pursue a postsecondary education but are not academically prepared for college-level course work.”
The State Department of Education (SDE) ensures that high schools provide remedial literacy and mathematics courses for seniors who plan to pursue postsecondary education but lack academic preparation.
Side note: Remedial courses are typically used in colleges to help students reach college-level readiness. H.3197 brings that structure a step back into the high school stage.
By the end of the year, Jordan will graduate with a diploma and have mastered some courses he should have learned in middle school.
South Carolina education is great! They know how to fix their own incompetence.
The FAFSA requirement
As graduation approaches, Jordan meets with his counselor.
He learns that he must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before graduating.
Jordan wonders why this is now part of graduation. This requirement seems unrelated to academic instruction.
H.3197: “Section 59-39-105. (A) In addition to completing the units or credits of instruction required for graduation, each high school senior shall complete and submit a free application for federal student aid ("FAFSA" or "application") before graduating from high school…”
Oh, good, Jordan learns he can decline, but only if a parent signs a form, he is eighteen, or a counselor approves an exemption for good cause.
The school must report whether Jordan complied with this requirement.
H.3197: “3) a requirement that each school district report to the State Department of Education: (a) the number of students who completed and submitted the application pursuant to subsection (A); and (b) the number of students who received an exception pursuant to subsection (B); and (4) means for ensuring compliance with federal law regarding confidentiality of student educational information, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. Section 1232g, and any law of this State relating to the privacy of student information.
Jordan thinks to himself, "Graduation requirements now include an administrative step connected to a federal financial aid system."
The system around Jordan
What Jordan did not realize was that he was moving through a centralized state system designed to shape and measure his outcomes.
Section 59-1-485 establishes a goal that at least 60% of working-age adults in South Carolina hold a postsecondary degree or industry credential by 2032.
H.3197: “Section 59-1-485. Recognizing that a vibrant workforce is critical to sustaining and growing the economy of this State by servicing existing industry and attracting new industry, the State of South Carolina must endeavor to increase the number of South Carolinians who are ready and able to fill jobs demanded by a dynamic and evolving economy to promote a statewide culture of excellence in education. To achieve this purpose, the State of South Carolina establishes a minimum overall statewide workforce readiness goal of at least sixty percent of all working-aged South Carolinians having a high-quality postsecondary degree or recognized industry credentials before the year 2032 unless a higher goal is established in the comprehensive statewide education and workforce development plan. This goal is consistent with all students graduating and having the knowledge, skills, and characteristics contained in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.”
Section 41-1-140 requires the Department of Employment and Workforce to publish data on the economic value of college majors and job availability.
H.3197: “Section 41-1-140. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Department of Employment and Workforce shall maintain and provide online access to information regarding the economic value of college majors. In addition to showing the economic value of each college major offered in this State, the department also shall compare bachelor's degree earned to job availability. The information must be available at no cost to the public. The availability of the information must be communicated to the State Department of Education and each public school district in the State. The department may expand its report to include associate degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees.”
Wonderful, Jordan gets swept into this statewide plan, and his progress through school becomes part of the numbers, timelines, and statewide benchmarks that agencies use to map education outcomes and workforce targets across the state.
What H.3197 builds
H.3197 connects several parts of the education system.
Remedial classes move into high school.
FAFSA becomes part of graduating.
Workforce targets shape what schools prioritize.
Agencies gain broader coordination over education and workforce data.
Side note on the universal FAFSA requirement.
Several states that implemented similar policies later repealed them because the FAFSA process was viewed as intrusive, confusing for families, and overly prescriptive in steering students toward college pathways. Louisiana formally rescinded its FAFSA graduation requirement following concerns from state officials.
CTA: Trash this bill.
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