COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees approved a budget plan that includes a small increase in tuition. The school says the move prioritizes South Carolina students.
The budget plan will hold tuition increases for in-state students on the Columbia campus to 0.6 percent, a historically low number. Last year the increase for in-state students was 2.9 percent. The increase in tuition will be used to cover a portion of rising employee retirement costs.
Tuition this fall in Columbia will be $6,344 for in-state residents and $16,964 per semester for non-residents.
According to university leaders, state support played a large role in the tuition hold. This year’s budget passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor included an additional $18.7 million in funding for university system operations as well as $36.8 million in one-time funding for system-wide capital needs.
“We worked closely with lawmakers this year to ensure investment in higher education was a priority, and the additional support we received had a direct impact on our ability to keep our tuition increase as low as possible,” said President Harris Pastides. “Specifically, we’d like to thank Hugh Leatherman, Harvey Peeler and Vincent Sheheen in the Senate; Jay Lucas, Murrell Smith and Gary Simrill in the House; and Gov. McMaster for their efforts to make the dream of earning a college degree more attainable for South Carolina students.”
USC graduates 40 percent of all the state’s bachelor’s degrees and above, and the 2019 freshman class is expected to have more South Carolinians than in the past.
Tuition at South Carolina’s four-year institutions (Aiken, Beaufort, Upstate) and two-year institutions (Lancaster, Sumter, Salkehatchie, Union) and Palmetto College will not increase this fall.
Other highlights of the budget plan approved by trustees on Friday include:
Tuition increases for the School of Medicine in Columbia and Greenville will be 1.9 percent for residents.
Tuition for the School of Law will be reduced by $5,000 for the combined fall and spring semesters.
For the Columbia campus, housing plan fees saw a 2.5 percent increase, and meal plan fees increased 2.9 percent.
There was an overall $10 million reduction in administrative costs at the Columbia campus.
