S.C. colleges and universities statewide are clamoring for more government funding. After the Great Recession (~2007-2009), the state cut back on spending for higher ed. To create funds for maintenance + new construction, colleges (especially those with smaller donor lists) have raised tuition fees.
S.C. State – S.C.’s only state-funded, historically black college – asked the state for $40 million to deal with unsafe information systems, slow internet, leaky roofs + unlivable dorms. House lawmakers recommended $8 million instead – and that proposal didn’t pass, anyway, after Gov. McMaster said the state should avoid the business of borrowing. S.C. State had to find the money elsewhere. (This year, S.C. State got $350,000 for tech upgrades from the state + $2.5 million from the lottery – but 3,000 more students enrolled + the college’s “basic” needs are still unmet.)
As lawmakers look to propose a new bond bill to help fund higher ed in the next legislative session, other state schools are joining in on asking for money, including:
🏫 UofSC | $25 million for old law school renovation
🏫 UofSC Aiken | $3.5 million for new HVAC system in Penland Administration Building
🏫 S.C.’s technical colleges | $87 million to split amongst the state’s technical colleges
