The $6.5 billion State Budget for FY 2012-13 passed the House by a unanimous vote on March 15. Using a combination of general appropriations and lottery revenue, the House funded the State's merit scholarships at their full statutory levels and the Higher Education Tuition Grants program at the current year's level. PASCAL is the #2 priority for up to $1.5 million in excess unclaimed lottery prize money.

At the level of funding approved by the House, next year's maximum tuition grant will be increased from $2,600 to $2,700. The addition of unobligated awards to the annual appropriations will make the $100 increase possible.

To support student financial aid programs for the fiscal year beginning July 1, the House allocated more than $313 million. While lottery proceeds make up the bulk of the allocation, general tax revenue in the amount of $96 million is needed to complete the funding.

The budget now goes to the Senate where the Finance Committee will complete its deliberations the week of April 23. Letters of support to members of the Senate are still important because the senators are not bound by the House bill and there are many agencies and programs competing for funds in a budget that is still smaller than the one passed in 2006.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Beth Dinndorf, an attorney and business executive with 17 years of leadership experience with a private women's liberal arts college in Minnesota, has been named the 18th president of Columbia College.

Dinndorf, 60, succeeds Dr. Caroline Whitson, who will retire as president June 30.

Dinndorf has served in a variety of roles since the 1980s on the Board of Trustees of the College of Saint Benedict, a women's liberal arts college with over 2,000 students in St. Joseph, MN. She has chaired the board since 2010, and serves on board committees dealing with finance, investment, academic affairs, audit, trusteeship and resource development. She also serves on the presidential search committee of Saint John's University, a nationally ranked men's liberal arts college affiliated with Saint Benedict.

She is the former senior vice president and manager of student banking services at U.S. Bank in St. Paul, MN. Before that, she was senior vice president and national sales manager of education financial services at Wells Fargo Bank in Sioux Falls, SD.

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Dr. Pamela M. Wilson was inaugurated as the 24th president of Allen University, a historically black college of nearly 700 students located in Columbia on March 29. When she was elected president by the Board of Trustees in February 2011, Dr. Wilson became the first woman to hold that office in the history of the then 141 year old institution.

A week-long series of events celebrated Dr. Wilson's inauguration. The Right Reverend Dr. Preston Warren Williams II, Presiding Prelate of the 7th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Chairman of Allen's Board of Trustees, presided over the investiture. Dr. Luns Richardson, president of Morris College, and Dr. Cleveland Sellers, president of Voorhees College, participated in the ceremony. Mike LeFever, SCICU president and CEO, brought greetings on behalf of the 20 members of SCICU.

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education presented the 2012 Service Learning Award to Columbia College for its work with the Eau Claire community near the college's North Columbia neighborhood. Students from the Child and Family Studies major used training, technology, and resources provided by The Benefit Bank of South Carolina to establish the Eau Claire Community Resource Center located on the campus. The Benefit Bank is an online service designed to secure funds and services for individuals and families working to overcome poverty and to build long-term financial stability.

The students participating in the project interviewed families in the community and matched them with available benefit programs. In 2011, the Columbia College TBB program served 77 households, recovering over $83,000 in benefits for them.

In addition to providing a valuable service to the community, the 63 students participating in the project gained practical experience from how to establish a community center to how to interview and counsel families. They learned communications and management skills and had the opportunity to exercise professional practices such as confidentiality, active listening, empathy, professional decorum and dress, critical thinking, and problem solving.

At the awards ceremony today, CHE Commission Chairman Ken Wingate recognized programs from Columbia College from the independent college division, Tri-County Technical College from the 2 year public college division, and Francis Marion College from the 4 year public college division.

Left to Right: Hood Temple, CHE Member; Stephanie Thompson, student; Dr. Laurie Hopkins, Provost; Dr. Carolina Whitson, President; Dr. Joyce Fields, Project Director; Ken Wingate, CHE Chairman