Board approves modest tuition increase
June 19, 2017
The SC State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a modest tuition increase for the 2017-2018 academic year and a slight fee increase for the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium. Undergraduate tuition will increase by 3 percent, while the tuition percentage increase for graduate students will top at 5 percent, still making tuition at SC State among the lowest for public institutions in the state.
The increase for undergraduate education is within the state’s preferred percentage increase for tuition, without obtaining approval from the General Assembly. Annual tuition for resident undergraduate students will increase by $270 for a total of $10,740; out-of-state undergraduates will pay $21,120, or a $570 increase from the previous year. Resident graduate students will invest an additional $450 in their education, paying $10,920.
“We know that any time one hears of an increase in cost for anything, it is difficult to manage and make the necessary household budget adjustments. We don’t take this decision lightly because families who invest in an SC State University education make sacrifices for the valuable education we provide. However, in order to remain on our path of progress and fiscal soundness, the university requires additional revenue to support the resources needed for our continued success,” said SC State University President James E. Clark.
In addition to the tuition increase, students will pay $25 more per semester for the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium fee, an annual jump from $20 to $70. Having been closed to the public for two years, university officials are set to reopen the cultural destination this upcoming fall.
University trustees also approved a change of discount to 40 percent for the special tuition rate for students who qualify to participate in the Bulldog Academic Resumption Covenant Program or BARC. The program allows students who “stopped out” of the university to return to the institution and work towards earning their bachelor’s degree through a partnership with the University of Phoenix.
BARC, which launched the previous fall, featured a 50 percent tuition discount from the university’s normal tuition rates for the first round of eligible students. This past year, students paid $651 per three-credit course. This will increase to $790, a difference of $139.
South Carolina State University
Founded in 1896 as a land grant institution with a mission of providing service to the citizens of the state, South Carolina State University has evolved from a small teachers’ college into a major University center of learning and research. Located in Orangeburg, S.C., with a student population of some 2,600, South Carolina State offers more than 50 different fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels. South Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools.
