The S.C. College board decided to put a hold on the University of South Carolina’s ~$10 million land bid – a purchase that’s been in the works for 15 years.
UofSC wants to purchase 14-acres of SCANA-owned land (for $9.4 million) in the downtown Columbia area, but because of their tuition-discount strategy – they were put on hold. The board isn’t happy about the $515 million in tuition discounts (to out-of-state students) the school has given out over the past decade ($84.1 million just last year).
They could still obtain the land, however, if the new state budget is approved by legislators. S.C. lawmakers proposed a budget that would strip commission of its power to review and approve plans, allowing UofSC to take its bid to another board.
If approved, UofSC would move its housing + technology maintenance departments to the SCANA site, build a soccer field for students + add more parking for UofSC service vehicles. This move would save $104,000 per year in operating expenses.
