USC undergraduate and graduate students faced a 5.9 percent tuition increase on July 1 after the 2008-2009 budget proposal was made public by the Board of Trustees executive committee.
In-state undergraduate students now pay an additional $492 in tuition and fees per year, increasing their tutition from $8,346 to $8,838 per year.
Non-residential tuition rose from $21,632 to $22,908 per year. The new tuition and fee increase cost non-residential undergraduate students $1,276.
Graduate students are also paying the 5.9 percent increase, with in-state graduate tuition totaling $9,836 a year, an increase of $548 from the 2007-2008 school year.
Non-residential graduate tuition increased by $1,156, totaling $20,736 per year.
The proposed tuition increase is a result of a $4.3 million state-funded budget cut and a rise in costs across the board encompassing inflation, insurance and utility increases plus a 1 percent state-mandated pay raise for all staff.
"We are in a period of inflation," said former President Andrew Sorensen. "There is a 2.68 percent decrease in state revenue on the Columbia campus. Our utility bill alone has increased by $1 million."
Sorensen said the Board of Trustees tried to be conservative with the increase.
"Although we are pleased that this budget will enable the university to maintain the quality that our students have come to expect in recent years, we are clearly mindful that even the smallest increases can work a hardship on students and their families," Sorensen said.
Rick Kelly, the vice president and chief financial officer for the university, said the Board of Trustees tried to look for cost-saving and creative solutions in the face of state funding cuts.
"Our leaders responded with a thoughtful budget process that responds to university needs and addresses strategic priorities," Kelly said.
The proposed tuition and activity fee increases are expected to generate approximately $11.5 million to fill the $4.3 million void and also to support the implementation of new university initiatives. These initiatives include law enforcement and safety fuel budget adjustments, student affairs and academic support programs and faculty excellence and global competitiveness initiatives to recruit new staff. The tuition increase will also help the university pay one-third of the state-mandated 1 percent pay raise for staff.
Some students disagree with the tuition increase. Alex Stroman, a second-year political science student and Student Government senator, said the board must be more understanding of Gamecock families' economic struggle.
"I ask, 'Why does my tuition continue to increase?' Tuition since the 2004-2005 school year has increased by 50 percent. When does it stop? The University in their budgeting process should look at how Gamecock families look at their own budgets and conserve," Stroman said.
"Students can only afford necessities. During times of economic prosperity, it's easy to ask for money and spend it. In a time like this, gas prices are high, groceries are high, unemployment is rising. Why is tuition rising? Shouldn't we be conserving?"
The board cut funding to some programs. One program, the Faculty Excellence Initiative, aimed to replace a large number of retiring university faculty, suffered a $1.2 million cut.
Student Body President Andrew Gaeckle said the board tried to be considerate of families with the tuition increase. Gaeckle said even in this difficult economic year, a tuition increase was needed in order to sustain excellence for USC students and maintain competitiveness with other universities.
"Parents and students are definitely feeling the burden of added costs," Gaeckle said. "These costs come with the huge inflation of energy prices, the climbing cost of operating a university and the national demand for excellence among institutions of higher education. With these needs the university had held back in the wake of this difficult economic time, but must maintain and support the pursuit of excellence at the University of South Carolina."
Some students were indifferent to the tuition increase.
"It's not surprising," said Caitlin Martinez, a third-year English student. "Tuition has been increasing for so long. It's not just here; it's everywhere."
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