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2009
February 22-23
Board of Trustees Meeting and Retreat (Wild Dunes Conference Center, Isle of Palms, SC)
February 27
Career Services Directors Meeting
10:30 a.m. at SCICU Office
March 4
Business Affairs Officers Meeting
10:30 p.m. at SCICU Office
March 20
Public Policy Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m. at SCICU Office
April 3
Chief Academic Officers Meeting
10:00 a.m. at SCICU Office
April 17
Library Directors Meeting
10:00 a.m. at SCICU Office
April 20-24
Independent Higher Education Week
April 21
Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner (Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center)
April 22
Independent Higher Education Day (State House) June 15-19
Guidance Counselor Campus Tour
August 27
Finance Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m. at SCICU Office |
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Ways and Means Level-Funds Tuition Grants and Other Scholarships
 The state budget for FY 2009-2010 is now headed to the House floor with a recommendation that the Tuition Grants program and all other state scholarships receive funding equal to last year's. This is a major victory for students and families during a time when the need is great and so many other state programs have been cut. Unfortunately, Ways and Means did not restore funding for PASCAL, but SCICU is working with the Commission on Higher Education and PASCAL supporters to secure funding as the budget moves forward.
In the span of approximately 8 hours yesterday, the House Ways and Means committee approved a draft budget that restores cuts made to K-12, state colleges and universities, and health over the last year. Using federal stimulus funds, the committee was able to erase the double-digit cuts these critical programs suffered throughout the fall. Other agencies were not as fortunate as many were cut back to 2004 levels. Under the present draft, local governments will lose $122 million in state funding.
The use of federal stimulus money is a temporary fix, but one that avoids about $700 million in state budget reductions over the next two years.
This is but one step on the long road towards an approved state budget, and the road is filled with obstacles and uncertainties. The grassroots efforts of our students and families, administrators, and SCICU governmental relations team have been very effective, but we must continue our work to the very end of the road.
Rep. Chip Limehouse, chairman of the Higher Education subcommittee of the Ways and Means committee, will join the Board of Trustees for dinner and remarks this Sunday night at the retreat. Rep. Limehouse has been very supportive of the Tuition Grants program and was instrumental in the recommendation adopted by the full committee.
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Federal Stimulus Dollars To Help SC Students
Here is how the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help our state's postsecondary students:
Federal Pell Grants
Actual (2008) $69,173,721 Maximum (2008) $4850
ARRA (2009) $97,513,275 Maximum (2009) $5350
Increase $28,339,554 Maximum (2010) $5550
Federal Work Study
Actual (2008) $13,015,874
AARA (2009) $15,670,841
Increase $ 2,654,967
Higher Education Tax Credit
$2500 tax credit for 4 years of college - temporarily replaces the Hope tax credit
40% refundable - those who pay no taxes are eligible for up to $1000 as a tax refund
Phases out for individuals with income of $80,000 or couples with income of $160,000
State Fiscal Stabilization Fund
Congress appropriated $53.6 billion to the states on a proportional basis to fill the holes in education accounts and other critical services. This is the pot of money that the Ways and Means committee used to restore the cuts to education and health programs and keep whole the student grants and scholarship programs.
South Carolina's share is $694,060,272 over a two year period. Under the ARRA, 18.2% of the state's allocation ($126,318,969) can be used for other critical programs which may include the modernization, renovation, and repair of educational facilities (including private colleges). It appears, however, that the Ways and Means committee used all of this money for programs and services, so there will be no money for facilities.
Independent colleges and universities may be eligible to compete in a variety of federal science, research and energy programs and projects as the stimulus package increased funding for federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health ($2 billion), National Science Foundation ($3 billion), and Energy Department ($2 billion). Some of this money will be funneled through comparable state agencies, but the majority of the funds will be in the form of competitive grants. There is little information available at this time on the timing and the funding processes.
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SC Student Loan Secures Funding
 The SC Student Loan Corp. announced recently that it had obtained funding to provide access to student loans for the remainder of this academic year and for the 2009-10 academic year. This means that Student Loan will be able to fund all Federal Stafford, PLUS, and Grad PLUS loans.
Unfortunately, Student Loan must discontinue paying or rebating loan origination fees on behalf of FFELP borrowers for the 2009-10 academic year, but they will continue to pay the Federal Default Fee for all FFELP borrowers.
Chuck Sanders, president and CEO of the SC Student Loan Corp., is a member of the SCICU Board of Trustees. | |
News & Notes is published by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc. Please send all comments or questions to SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever at mike@scicu.org or 803-799-7122. Mailing address: P.O. Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211 |
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