State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education Acts Responsibly With Only 3.6% Tuition Cap Increase
May 31, 2009COLUMBIA, SC – May 29, 2009 – The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education decided at the May 26th board meeting to increase the 2009-2010 Technical College System Tuition Cap by 3.6% consistent with the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI). The HEPI increase brings the maximum tuition at any technical college in the state up $60 from $1,668 to $1,728 for fall 2009-2010.
“We are particularly concerned with keeping our technical colleges affordable and accessible in these uncertain economic times. Our institutions play a vital role in putting South Carolinians back to work; and to that end, we felt that the HEPI increase was an extremely responsible decision. The 3.6% increase to the cap represents a meager adjustment in this period of unprecedented budget shortfalls,” said Montez Martin chair of the State Board.
Martin further commented that in setting the tuition cap the board considered a host of unknowns including how an increase in tuition could potentially limit accessibility and jeopardize federal stimulus dollars.
“This decision is based on the assumption that State Fiscal Stabilization Funds will be available later this summer,” Martin said. “If we find that this is not the case, we will have to revisit our decision and possibly make tuition adjustments to ensure that we maintain our quality programs and services for the nearly 250,000 South Carolinians enrolled in either credit or continuing education programs at our technical colleges across the state.”
SC State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education
The SC State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education operates the SC Technical College System. The System is comprised of 16 technical colleges located strategically across the state and its statewide affiliate programs: the Center for Accelerated Technology Training’s readySC™ program, Apprenticeship Carolina™ and competeSC™. As the largest higher education system in the state, the System provides its 114,000 credit students and 128,000 continuing education students with a comprehensive education and a fast track to a rewarding career. In addition, the System’s nationally-recognized affiliate programs, designed to train or re-train employees so that companies new to South Carolina and existing businesses alike can continue to prosper and grow, help spur job growth and economic development opportunities across the state. The SC Technical College System is not only preparing students of all ages for real work today, but also demonstrating a commitment to increasing the employability of all South Carolinians and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all.