USC Upstate to raise tuition by 3.25 percent starting in August

University of South Carolina Upstate students will see their tuition costs rise this academic year.

The increase was handed down by The University of South Carolina board of trustees. Like the main USC campus in Columbia, tuition at USC Upstate will increase by 3.25 percent starting in August.

In-state undergraduate students will see costs increase by $311, to a total of $5,495 per semester.

Out-of-state undergraduate students will see tuition rise by $485, to a total of $10,994 per semester.

Adam Gregory will be a sophomore at USC Upstate in August. He said the tuition increase "is a concern" even though he has an academic scholarship.

Similar tuition increases have been approved at other colleges and universities across the state.

Clemson University trustees raised tuition by 3.14 percent. Winthrop University's trustees raised tuition by 2.5 percent to pay for a state-mandated salary increase for state employees.

Devariae McDaniels, a rising USC Upstate junior, said he hopes the money goes to adding some more buildings to the university campus.

McDaniels said he transferred to USC Upstate from South Carolina State University after tuition became unaffordable there. "It's a little worrying," he said.

Gregory said USC Upstate is a cheaper university than some others across the state, the tuition hike has him paying more attention to his future.

After leaving USC Upstate, Gregory plans to attend medical school.

"Right now, any amount of debt I can avoid is a good thing," he said.

Follow Zach Fox on Twitter @ZachFoxSHJ