South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
A Voice for Independent Higher Education in South Carolina
Significant changes to federal student aid are included in the $1.4 trillion FY21 appropriations package passed by Congress and sent to President Trump. Major changes to Pell Grants include: Maximum grant amount increases $150 to $6,495 An additional 555,000 students will be eligible each year for Pell Grants Another 1.7 million Pell Grant recipients will …
COLUMBIA, S.C. – SCICU campus legislative coordinators from across the state gathered for their first-ever virtual kickoff for the annual student letter-writing campaign on Dec. 9. “Our previous years’ in-person kickoff meetings were high-energy gatherings of legislative contacts from SCICU member campuses,” said Jeff Perez, SCICU president and CEO. “COVID-19 may have changed the venue …
COLUMBIA, S.C. (courtesy benedict.edu and nps.gov) — Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, and Voorhees College have been selected for the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. Launched in March 2020, this national network connects sites across the country that provide education, interpretation, and research related to the Reconstruction Era – the period following the American …
This is a combined state and federal update, as it involves a South Carolina Supreme Court decision that impacted the access of SCICU member institutions to federal CARES Act funding. On October 30 SCICU filed a “friend of the court” (amicus curiae) brief in support of Governor McMaster’s motion that the South Carolina Supreme Court …
COLUMBIA, S.C. — SCICU has renamed its emergency funding to students the “Student Lifeline Grants Program” to more accurately capture the initiative’s capacity to help students whose unexpected financial challenges might result in their dropping out. “The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered students and their families even more financially vulnerable, making Student Lifeline Grants all the …
Following five decades of dedicated service to Presbyterian College, Robert (Bob) Staton will retire as the college’s 18th president on Dec. 31. In addition to his five-year presidency, Staton’s roles at the college include executive vice president for external relations (2007-2012) and member of the PC board of trustees 1997-2006. Staton’s broader service to independent …
Presbyterian College has named Matt vandenBerg, an accomplished leader and fundraiser in independent higher education, as its 19th president. He will start his leadership at Presbyterian on February 1. VandenBerg will succeed Bob Staton, who will retire as PC president on Dec. 31. “Dr. vandenBerg embraces the Christian faith and is a lifelong member of …
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. (SCICU), along with Bob Jones University and Clinton College, have filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief with the South Carolina Supreme Court supporting Governor McMaster’s motion to rehear Adams v. McMaster and clarify that private colleges and universities should have access to …
We continue to see the follow-up CARES Act stimulus legislation batted back and forth like a tennis ball. In May, House Democrats passed a $3.4 trillion stimulus package that Senate Republicans rejected as too big. Earlier this month House Democrats barely passed a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package that Republicans responded was too generous to …
