The University of South Carolina's Board of Trustees approved a 2010-11 operating budget on June 25 that balances several critical needs of the University with efforts to keep tuition as low as possible without compromising students' educational experience. Undergraduate tuition and required fees on the Columbia campus will go up by 6.9 percent.

University President Harris Pastides said that he is heartened by the record number of freshmen who plan to attend the University of South Carolina in the fall and is committed to providing them the best educational experience possible.

"The state's bleak budget picture continues to impact us, and once again we have made some gut-wrenching choices," Pastides said. "However, it is imperative that we maintain the quality that we are known for and continue to provide an outstanding educational experience for our students. The record number of freshmen from South Carolina who plan to attend the University this fall is a ringing endorsement of the University and its mission, and the confidence that they have put in Carolina is a reminder that we cannot falter in our commitment to educating the people of our state."

Pastides said that at the Columbia campus, a tuition increase of 16 percent would have been required to restore the University's 2010 base budget, a figure out of the question in order to keep education affordable. Since the 2008 fiscal year, the University's state appropriations have been cut by nearly $105 million. Read more>>