The University of South Carolina has announced a plan to freeze tuition for the 2022-2023 school year.
This is the fourth consecutive year that all USC’s campuses have had tuition at the same rate. In 2019, in-state tuition for the Columbia campus was raised by $76.Out-of-state tuition has remained steady.
Interim President Harris Pastides credits the global pandemic for the university’s decision to freeze tuition, according to a press release. Pastides also said that announcing tuition costs for the next academic year this fall will give students and families time to budget. Usually, the university announces tuition costs in June.
“I hope that we can give some comfort to both current and future students that we recognize these challenges and that our institution is committed to offering affordable degree programs,” Pastides said.
Undergraduate tuition will remain $6,344 for in-state resident students and $16,964 for non-resident students on the Columbia campus. According to a press release from university spokesperson Jeff Stensland, about half of USC students graduate with zero debt, compared to about 30% nationally.
“We’re grateful for the governor and the General Assembly for investing in higher education over the past several years through tuition mitigation funds,” Stensland said in an email. “It has made a big difference and is essential to helping make college more affordable for students and families.”
It's unclear if prices will raise for students in any other context. It is too soon to tell if any other costs will increase, Stensland said in an email.
"We would hope for only modest increases, if any," Stensland said.