COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA) – The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees have voted to increase tuition to make up for a lack of state funding, according to a release from the university.
They say less than 10 percent of their budget comes from state appropriations.
USC is calling for an increase in state funding.
This is the increase for the 2017-18 academic year:
3.46 percent tuition increase for the Columbia campus;
3 percent increase for the four-year comprehensive campuses;
3 percent increase for Palmetto College online;
3 percent increase at USC’s two-year Palmetto College campuses for students that have completed more than 75 hours of coursework
3.46 percent increase for students with less than 75 hours.
The university says the the increase and those in the past six years are below the national average for tuition inflation.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that in the absence of additional state funding, tuition increases are one of the only tools available to cover rising costs and ensure USC continues to provide a world-class educational experience to its students,” says Board Chairman John C. von Lehe Jr. “The University has been and will continue to be a good steward of the funds invested in us by the state, students and donors. The University has consistently been named among the most efficient institutions of higher education in the country.”
