COLUMBIA, S.C. — With the S.C. Senate and House considering another state budget with historic increases in need-based aid for South Carolina resident students, SCICU and the S.C. Commission on Higher Education will combine forces to say thanks to General Assembly members in a historic joint Higher Education Day at the S.C. State House on April 6.
“In 2021, Governor McMaster announced significant increases in fiscal year 2021-2022 need-based aid for South Carolina resident students attending private and public colleges and universities,” said SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez. “We are pleased the governor proposed, and the House budget includes, similar increases in need-based aid for fiscal year 2022-2023. It is fitting that Tuition Grants recipients at SCICU’s member colleges and universities join with needs-based recipients from public colleges and universities and present a unified message of thanks to the Governor and the General Assembly.”
Students attending public and private colleges and universities in the Palmetto State will gather April 6 at the State House to tell their Senators and Representatives how much need-based student grants mean to them in making it more affordable to attend the college of their choice.
The student group will also be recognized that day in a joint session of the S.C. House and Senate.
The April 6 rally will also culminate SCICU’s annual Tuition Grants student letter-writing campaign. Legislative coordinators on SCICU’s 21 member campuses facilitate letter-writing events for Tuition Grants recipients. Each year SCICU’s Tuition Grants recipients write thousands of personal thank-you letters to their respective Senators and Representatives. In 2021, despite COVID-19 challenges, more than 7,000 Tuition Grant thank-you letters were mailed to members of the General Assembly. SCICU Tuition Grants recipients also celebrated a virtual State House Day in 2021.