COLUMBIA, S.C. – Kylah Montgomery, a Benedict College studio art major, was SCICU ‘s featured student speaker at the April 19 Joint Higher Education Day at the S.C. State House. She shared with Gov. McMaster, fellow students at S.C. ‘s private and public colleges, and the media why Tuition Grants are so important to her.
Please read the text of Kylah ‘s Higher Education Day speech:
“Good morning, I ‘m Kylah Moreland Montgomery and I ‘m a junior at Benedict College, the HBCU that put the BC in HBCU! I am majoring in studio art and minoring in art history. I am excited to be with you today representing Benedict College and SCICU ‘s 20 other member colleges and universities.
More than 12,000 students at these 21 schools are Tuition Grants recipients. Tuition Grants help South Carolina residents attend and afford the private college of their choice. Tuition Grants have been an important part of my financial aid for my first three years at Benedict. Our President, Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, has worked hard to ensure that my classmates and I have every opportunity to complete our degree with as little debt as possible. The South Carolina Tuition Grants application process is simple and has without a doubt aided us in making a degree more affordable. Unlike loans, the South Carolina Tuition Grants are a gift and do not have to be repaid. This has helped me to minimize student loan debt and alleviate some of the financial burdens for my family. The Tuition Grants also gave me the opportunity to choose an HBCU that was the right fit for my artistic gifts and academic goals.
On behalf of all Tuition Grants recipients, we thank you and urge South Carolina to increase its support and look forward to celebrating Higher Education Day! Thank you! And now, please allow me to introduce one of the champions of South Carolina higher education needs-based aid, including the Tuition Grants program. It is a great day in South Carolina, and please join me in welcoming Governor Henry McMaster.”
