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COLUMBIA (WACH) - Hundreds of technical college students gathered at the Statehouse Tuesday for the Lottery Tuition Assistance rally.

Students studying in South Carolina showed their appreciation for Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTA). 

Since 2002, nearly 400,000 technical college students have received financial aid through the LTA. Each year, about 40,000 of those students get partial or full assistance through the program.

Sen. Vincent Sheheen and Rep. Phil Owens spoke at the event along with Teresa Thompson-Isley, a student at York Technical College, who has benefited from LTA.

"We all have hopes, dreams, intelligence, and the drive. And with the help of the LTA, we have the financial support to reach all of our goals and dreams because we know that education is the key to success," said Thompson-Isley.

One in three technical college students relies on Lottery Tuition Assistance in order to afford higher education.