SC Commision of Higher Education Chairman

Feb 13, 2018, 4:41 PM

Recently I have read several articles about higher education costs in SC in the Greenville News. All of them have been somewhat unfairly critical of Clemson University. These articles started when Tim Hofferth Chair of the State Commission on Higher Education criticized Clemson for seeking higher academic rankings at what he charged were unnecessary increases in tuition costs.
A little research proves that Clemson is one of the best values in the country for public higher education. The 2017-2018 Money Magazine list of best college values cites Clemson as 61st best, right behind UNC and right ahead of UGA. Clemson graduates have early annual earnings of $54,100. USC is ranked 442 in the same study right ahead of Robert Morris University and right behind Covenant College. USC graduates earn $45,800 annually or over $8000 less than Clemson graduates. And after application of grants, Clemson costs $3000 less per year than USC. In studies from US News and World Reports, Forbes, and Kiplinger similar results were found when comparing USC and Clemson.
The other issue downplayed by the Greenville News and ignored by Hofferth is that public funding for higher education in SC has dropped by 1/3 since 2008 and trails every state but one in the southeast. The actual cost of attending college is the sum of the per capita tuition plus the annual per student public funding. When public funding decreases, private tuition has to increase.
In a state like SC where we are DAL in virtually every stat we want to be first in and first in every stat we want to be DAL in, it amazes me that the one state institution which is beating the norm is the one chosen for criticism by the higher education chair who holds degrees from prestigious institution like USC Aiken and USC Columbia.

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since 2008. I know it's gone up 300% since 1999. And that's for instate.

The two areas where costs have risen the most across the country in the past 20 years are college tuition and healthcare. Take a look and see how much hospitals and colleges have grown in the past 20 years versus just about anything else. Clemson is spending billions on growth as are most hospital systems (they're so big they're systems now). I don't recognize most of Clemson's campus compared to just 20 years ago. #### near everything is either new, torn down, or remodeled. Same goes for hospitals. From the looks of things, Clemson certainly does not appear to be hurting from having 33% of the 10% of their budget they get from the state being cut.

SC Commision of Higher Education Chairman

Re: SC Commision of Higher Education Chairman***

Wrong bored, skipper!***

What kind of boat is your Abaco boat?***

Re: What kind of boat is your Abaco boat?***

Re: What kind of boat is your Abaco boat?***

Lol. Good thing Clemson's tuition has only gone up 33%

Re: Lol. Good thing Clemson's tuition has only gone up 33%

Hoose scoks are these

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