Push for enhancing S.C. Tuition Grants —
SCICU joined Governor McMaster, the SC Commission on Higher Education and the SC Technical College System at a press conference advocating an increase in the state lottery’s contribution to needs-based aids, including the South Carolina Higher Education Tuition Grants Program.
In his Executive Budget the governor proposed an additional $10 million of lottery funding for Tuition Grants, which would increase the maximum grant from the current $3,600 to $4,380.
Converse College President Krista Newkirk spoke on behalf of SCICU member institutions. She noted that fully 60 percent of South Carolina residents attending private colleges and universities in the state are supported by the Tuition Grants Program. President Newkirk spoke of the many students who have had families stricken by the pandemic, or lost their jobs, and that the increased aid could make all the difference in completing their education.
Zy’Keria Moultrie, a junior at Columbia College, spoke eloquently on behalf of the more than 12,000 students who receive Tuition Grants. She shared her desire to become a nurse and midwife and that increasing tuition grants would put her closer to achieving that dream.
COVID-19 Liability Protection
The Senate is moving S.147, which would provide businesses and organizations with temporary protection from lawsuits associated COVID-19. SCICU member institutions that have worked so hard to provide precautions should not be second-guessed in time-consuming and distracting lawsuits.