We all have heard the saying that the best things in life are free. Now, scholars or educators will tell you the saying is based on the principle that some of the most gratifying moments in life don’t cost a thing.
For potentially tens of thousands of young people, obtaining a degree at one of our state’s two-year institutions could be one of those best things in life. Some of my Senate colleagues and I recently introduced legislation to provide free tuition and fees for our youth to pursue degrees at our state’s technical colleges.
The legislation creates the South Carolina Promise Scholarship Program to cover the cost of tuition and fees for students attending the state’s technical colleges. The proposal is based on legislation adopted in Tennessee where a similar program already operates.
Under the proposal, the scholarship would be available to South Carolina residents who are seeking degrees or certifications and are enrolled at least parttime in one of the state’s technical colleges.
The Promise Scholarship Program would make a college education more accessible and affordable for our young people. South Carolina students are being priced out of a post-secondary education. Tuition and fees at our public institutions have been rising faster than the rate of inflation and growth in family income.
From 2006 to 2014, tuition and fees at the state’s public four-year institutions have increased 62 percent, according to an October 2016 report from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). That’s nearly three times the rate of inflation – which was 22 percent – during the period. Meanwhile, family income in the state fell 8 percent during the same period, the SREB report states.
According to SREB data, graduates from South Carolina public four-year colleges, including research universities, have an average debt burden upon graduation higher than both regional and national averages.
The Promise Scholarship Program has the potential to decrease the cost of a college education for parents and to reduce the debt burden for students upon graduation. For those students pursuing a four-year degree, the program would significantly cut their projected expenses for tuition and fees.
Increasing college accessibility is an investment in a better quality of life for our residents. On average, individuals holding bachelor’s degrees earn $1.2 million more than individuals with just a high school diploma.
Helping to ensure a better quality of life for our young people certainly is a worthwhile promise.
As with all matters concerning state government, I want to hear your opinions and suggestions concerning these issues. Please contact me in my Columbia office located at 608 Gressette Office Building. You can reach me, or a member of my staff in Columbia at (803) 212-6000 or by fax at (803) 212-6011. My district office is located at 2325 East Highway 76, Marion, SC 29571, the phone number is (843) 423-8237 and the fax number is (843) 431-6049. You may also email me at kentwilliams@scsenate.gov. My business phone is (843) 423-3904.