Last year, Carolina Day was all about the tuition timeout. But when USC lobbyists took to the Statehouse Wednesday, they had their eyes on a different prize.
USC administrators asked state legislators last week for $7 million to fund the On Your Time initiative, which would re-engineer the academic calendar to help students graduate sooner with less debt. And this week, hoardes of students, alumni and faculty members joined them at the Statehouse for the 12th annual Carolina Day.
“It serves students who are a little behind to catch up and graduate on time, thereby saving a lot of money, and other students, especially those with AP credits, to consider graduating a year or even a half year early,” USC President Harris Pastides said. “We’d like students to think of college not necessarily as four years, but as 120 credits.”
The state government currently funds about 10 percent of USC’s total budget. and 54 percent of USC’s students graduate with debt, the average being a total of $28,200. As a result, this year’s Carolina Day was centrally focused on pushing for funding for the On Your Time graduation initiative.
“We believe, on behalf of the student body, that a lot of debt has occurred because people aren’t graduating on time,” Student Body President Lindsay Richardson said. “It’ll allow you to take those internships — allow you to get out early so you can earn that income.”
Student Government members focused on lobbying for more state support of higher education, better relationships between the university and the state legislature and student loan debt reductions.
Richardson said the lobby was very well-received by legislators throughout the day.
“Governor Haley seemed very open,” Richardson said. “She was very friendly. She encouraged that she’s been supportive of education and that she’s trying to work with the house to get better support for it as well.”
And for first-year risk management and finance student Heather Pusey, Carolina Day was a mystery before she arrived at the Statehouse, but she quickly joined the ranks of the bustling lobbyists.
“I didn’t really know what I was going to do," Pusey said, "but it was a good experience."
Pastides compared the day's enthusiasm mirrored that of a football or basketball game.
“In fact, for people to take a morning away from their work or school, it gives me personally the drive and the motivation to work harder, knowing that so many people are affectionate about our university," he said."