COLUMBIA, S.C. — Monday night's Powerball jackpot is the third largest in the history of the game with $900 million up for grabs.
In South Carolina, a large chunk of the lottery's profits benefit higher education. The South Carolina Education Lottery says that they have generated over $7.8 billion for education in the Palmetto State since it started in 2002.
Luther Bell, a recent graduate from Westwood High School in Blythewood, will be attending Clemson in the fall. He says he believes that the LIFE scholarship also holds students academically accountable and driven.
"Well, in order to keep this financial security, I still have to work hard at this," Bell said. "I mean it's a give and take."
South Carolina Education Lottery Spokesperson Holli Armstrong says while a big chunk of money goes to winners, the remaining money makes a real difference in education.
"This money, it supports students right here in South Carolina. The bulk of it goes to higher education scholarships like the LIFE and the Palmetto Fellows," Armstrong said. "Let's say you spend a dollar on the lottery. Roughly 25 cents of that directly supports education. But then roughly 66 cents of that, well over half, goes fund prizes for the players."
Christian Goodwin, a recent graduate from W.J. Keenan High School, will be attending South Carolina State University on a LIFE scholarship. Goodwin said without this scholarship, he would not be able to achieve his goal of attending a higher education institute.
"I would not be able to go to college," Goodwin said. "I'd say in terms of financial aid, it would really affect it. So I'm very glad that the LIFE scholarship came in handy because it very well will affect my life greatly in terms of my college career."
SCEL also offers financial based scholarships along with academic based scholarships.