Facing a budget shortfall that has been estimated to be $800 million or more, the General Assembly will begin its 119th session on January 11. One day later, Governor-elect Nikki Haley will be take the oath of office, replacing Governor Mark Sanford who has served since 2003.

Although state revenues are improving modestly, the gains are not enough to offset the millions of dollars cut from agencies and programs during each of the past three years, the loss of federal stimulus funds, and the increasing cost of annualizations. While lawmakers have continued to invest in the future of South Carolina by refusing to cut student aid programs, each new year brings new challenges and fierce competition for scarce state resources.

SCICU's legislative priorities emphasize maintaining the current level of funding for both the needed-based Tuition Grants Program and state merit scholarships such as Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE, and Tuition Assistance. Last year, students attending SCICU member institutions received roughly $35 million in tuition grants and $40 million in state merit scholarships.

Subcommittees of the House Ways and Means Committee will begin meeting as soon as the members take the oath of office. The Tuition Grants Commission and the Commission on Higher Education, the administrative agencies responsible for the grant and scholarship programs, will make presentations to the Higher Education Subcommittee on January 18.

SCICU's lobbying and education efforts have been engaged for weeks including the highly successful student letter writing campaign, written and in-person communications with individual legislators, and coordinated efforts with the Tuition Grants Commission.

We encourage supporters and friends of independent higher education to contact their legislators in support of student financial aid and a better educated South Carolina. Additional information and resources are available on the Advocacy page (http://www.scicu.org/advocacy) on the SCICU website (www.scicu.org), or you may contact Mike LeFever at mike@scicu.org or 803-799-7122.

The 2010 edition of SCICU's annual report is the organization's first publication to earn certification from the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC label ensures that the forest products used are from responsibly harvested and verified sources.

The 2010 Annual Report acknowledges the individuals and businesses that support independent higher education, provides information about our accomplishments during the past year, and presents the organization's audited financial statement for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2010. Copies of the report were mailed to trustees, donors, and friends in early December.

Members of the House and Senate will receive copies of the annual report when they return to Columbia on January 11. Accompanying the reports will be a letter thanking the legislators for their past support for student financial aid and requesting that they continue to vote to fund student grants and scholarships at the current year's levels.

A complete copy of the 2010 SCICU Annual Report is also available on-line at http://scicu.org/publications/cat_view/59-2010-annual-report.

In 2008, 16 SCICU member colleges formed a coalition to assist one another meet 
environmental standards required by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. The schools entered into formal agreements with EPA and DHEC that would hold the schools harmless on fines and penalties if they conducted on-site audits and reported and corrected violations and deficiencies.

Although all coalition members have now completed the audit and corrective requirements of the agreement, there is a continuing obligation that each school must maintain its compliance by committing to develop and implement an on-going environmental management system or complete another peer audit within two years of the first audit.

Recently, 8 members of the coalition signed a contract with HRP Associates for assistance with developing a comprehensive EMS. The program consists of a series of 3 workshops plus reporting templates followed by on-site EMS audits and reviews conducted by HRP staff. The first training session is scheduled for January 26 on the Wofford College campus.

Using the combined purchasing power of 8 colleges, the group was able to negotiate some very favorable rates for its members. Bob Keasler, senior vice president of operations and finance at Wofford College, organized the group and developed the RFP that led to the selection of HRP. Any SCICU college or university interested in joining in this effort should contact Bob (keaslerrl@wofford.edu) before the January 26th training.