Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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« ♦ i* « W The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, Dec. 19, 1968—PAGE 5 Council urges tuition grants A $584 tuition equalization grant to every South Carolina college student attending a non- sate-supported college in the State would make a low-cost college education available to many additional South Caro linians, and at the same time save South Carolina taxpayers “vast sums” of money, the South Carolina College Council has declared. The council, composed of 17 accredited colleges, set forth this proposal in a letter to Robert M. Vance, chairman, Commission of Higher Education for South Carolina. “We believe that we should stress four recommendations at this time in the hope that the Commission of Higher Educa- ion will recommend their adop tion to the General Assembly,” said the letter which was sign ed by Thomas H. Pope of New berry, on behalf of the Council. A tuition equalization plan is “imperative” and “the most im portant single step which could be taken in 1969,” the Council said. Such a plan would narrow the gap between the student’s cost of attending an independent college and the lower tuition at the state-supported colleges. Under the recommended plan, a qualified student attending a noh-state-sUpported college in South Carolina would receive a grant equal to 60 percent of the per-year student appropria tion made by the state for full time students on the main cam puses of the five state-support ed colleges—Clemson, Souh Car olina State College, The Cita del, the University of South Carolina, and Winthrop. Since the state presently spends $973 annually to sub sidize each student attending a state-supported college, the 60 percent equalization grant would amount to $584. By thus “equalizing” the stu dent’s cost of attending a state- supported or non-state-support ed college, more students would be encouraged to attend the in dependent colleges, using their existing capacities. The independent colleges can prtsently accomodate 4000 more students than are now attending them. “We need not point out to your Commission the fact that forty percent of the present college enrollment is in the in dependent colleges of South Carolina. “Obviously, the schooling of forty percent of South Carolina’s college population in the inde pendent colleges saves the state vast sums that would have to be appropriated both for op erating the State colleges and for capital expenditures if the state were required to educate all South Carolinians in state- supported institutions,” the let ter pointed out. Besides spending $973 per year per student for operating expenses at state-supported colleges, the state must also provide the physical facilities for education, amounting to a- bout $7,500 for each student. The tuition equalization plan would make a low-cost college education available to many ad ditional South Carolinians who are not now able to attend either state or private insitutions, and it would save the state large sums for construction to meet theincreased needs, creased needs. It would also insure the con tinued strength and quality of South Carloina’s independent colleges and obviate the possibil ity that some of them would have to close for lack of ad equate support, thereby throw ing a further burden upon tht wState of South Carolina, the letter continued. Besides pointing out the ad vantages of the tuition equali zation plan, the Council urged: —Establishment of an Au thority to approve the issuanc? of tax-exempt bonds by inde pendent educational institutions. —A cooperative effort among the state-supported and indepen dent educational institutions to improve the quality of educa tion in South Carolina and to broaden the educational oppor tunities of all students. —Provision for practice teach er training in the public schools without expense to the indepen dent colleges. The tuition equalization plan would apply to all South Carol ina students residing in the State for at least two years prior to the grant in aid, and remaining as residents during tht grant period. The grants would be available to all resi dent South Carolina students carrying a minimum of 12 se mester hours in the four under graduate years at an indepen dent college. The Council recommended that the grants apply to educa tion by any senior college in South Carolina approved for teacher training by the State Department of Education, ac- creditd by the Southern Asso ciation of Colleges and Schools or institutions actively seeking such accreditation; and any jun ior colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Col leges and schools, those actively seeking such accreditation or those accredited by any other accrediting agency recognized and designated by the State De partment of Education. * * \ * / / \ I 1 • V.V.V iis m / saw * v .v,y'« • • • * #<•>!•?? **••♦*•• Kviv f-.v.v: m .VX-H l I *<; *.MvX* XvX >!•$* Use before m .X»Xy>X I !•$?*.• •fcv. sfti yy.i Christmas. It buys everything you need. South Carolina BankAmericard. authorized signature mm m Fw.V.VV y.-yy We’re Your Christmas Store . .. 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