Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

The “free” community, or two-year, college initiative has gotten a lot of attention since it was included in the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act.

But are “free” tuition and fees at two-year colleges really free for South Carolinians?

It’s certainly not free for the American taxpayers who foot the $45.5 billion projected cost of the program. Moreover, it’s not free for the taxpayers attending other types of colleges and universities. They end up paying for two tuitions. And do we want to provide free two-year college tuition and fees to students regardless of how wealthy they are?

Offering “free” two-year college tuition and fees also deprives students of the freedom to choose the college or university that best fits their needs. Congress has rightly focused on student-based financial aid programs, like the Pell Grant. By picking one sector – two-year colleges – for special treatment, Congress would be compelling economically disadvantaged students to attend a college that doesn’t necessarily suit their needs nor match their aspirations.

“Free” two-year college is certainly not free for state governments who must provide 20 percent of the costs by the end of the five-year program. But that’s not all: A study by the State Higher Education Executives and Officers Association (SHEEO) reports that in the first year of the program South Carolina, where the cost of two-year colleges is greater than the national median, would have to increase funding by about 17 percent.

And, as I mentioned, “free” two-year college is a five-year program. States that commit to it may find that federal funding has dried up at the end of the program, leaving them having to foot the entire cost.

Rather than create a new, unproven program with all sorts of strings attached, why not just double the Pell Grants and permit qualifying students to select the college or university of their choice?

Doubling Pell would free students of debt. According to a report from the Gender Equity Policy Institute, students receiving the maximum grant would realize a whopping 78 percent reduction in student loan debt!

Now, let me stress the technical colleges in South Carolina do a commendable job preparing their students, and those students deserve some help. Doubling the Pell Grant program would have the beneficial effect of rendering those colleges tuition-free for qualifying students.

Let’s suppose that the Build Back Better Act manages to get passed. The legislation does give states the chance to opt out of its “free” community college component. That’s one freedom South Carolina should exercise.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

The SCICU Newsletter is back after summer hiatus, just as thousands of students are returning to the campuses of the SCICU member institutions.

The students are desperately eager to get back to campus. Their educations have been disrupted by the pandemic and they’ve been looking forward to getting back to normal, as are faculty and staff. Incoming freshmen want to start their college journeys, and surrounding communities also await thriving, vibrant campuses.

However, the delta variant is throwing us all a curve ball, and, as the American philosopher and Yankees catcher Yogi Berra said, “it’s déjà vu all over again.” Across the state DHEC is reporting an increase in the number of delta variant COVID-19 cases, particularly among the unvaccinated.

Yet again, campuses must adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Having worked closely with the SCICU presidents I can attest that their very highest priority is the wellbeing of their campus communities. And while the welfare of the students, faculty and staff is paramount for each president, responding to COVID-19 is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

The leadership of each campus is responding in a manner that best meets the needs of the institutions for which they are responsible. The campus location, facilities, demographics of the student population, and infection and vaccination rates are just a few of the many factors they must take into consideration in developing a campus response. Because no two campuses are exactly alike, neither are their pandemic plans.

In the last year and a half the presidents and their leadership teams have proved their capacity to be flexible and adapt quickly to the changing circumstances resulting from COVID-19. They had to make tough decisions, but thanks to their strategies, supported by faculty, staff and students, their campuses were noteworthy for their low rates of infection.

I am entirely confident that we can expect the same resilience this fall.

I would also like to offer a warm welcome to SCICU’s newest member institution, Bob Jones University. Now every eligible college and university is a SCICU member.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

Though I have attended more than 30 graduation ceremonies in my career, hearing “Pomp and Circumstance” still brings a lump to my throat. I think of all the wonderful students I’ve known. Graduations are bittersweet – we must say goodbye to students we’ve mentored, but we know bright futures lay ahead for them.

To say the least, the SCICU member institutions have a deep and lasting impact on the students who they prepared and inspired for success on whatever path they choose. But that impact is much broader than you may realize.

As a new report from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) reveals, independent higher education is vitally important to their students as well as the communities and states in which they’re located.

The NAICU report, Private, Nonprofit Higher Education: Shaping Lives and Anchoring Communities, details the national and regional contributions of private colleges and universities. The total national economic impact is $591 billion. They employ 1.1 million people, create another 2.3 million jobs and generate nearly $78 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

Now let’s focus on South Carolina. The SCICU member institutions have an extensive economic impact on our state. The 20 colleges and universities, with 33,000 students, employ more than 7,200 people and their payroll and business expenses total $844 million – that makes independent higher education one of the biggest businesses in South Carolina!

But as the NAICU report notes, the United States is a “nation of college towns,” and that is certainly true here in South Carolina where many SCICU member institutions are located in small towns. SCICU member institutions are often one of the largest employers in their communities.

The impact of private colleges and universities goes beyond dollars and cents. As former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder put it: “Colleges are the anchors for their community – not just an
economic catalyst, but a cultural catalyst. Their presence changes the dynamic of those towns.”

Private colleges and universities improve the quality of life in their communities through the volunteering by campus community members which inspires a philanthropic spirit in students that lives beyond their college years. The campuses work with community leaders to identify and meet public needs. SCICU campuses are good neighbors, and so are their students who become leaders in their communities and careers.

I urge you to take just a few minutes to read through Shaping Lives and Anchoring Communities. You’ll soon see that private colleges and universities not only educate and equip their students to succeed, they also sustain their communities and fortify their states.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

For my column this month I thought I’d share with you my comments at the press conference announcing SCICU’s participation in the federal lawsuit to strike the “Blaine Amendment” from the S.C. Constitution.

My organization is a party to this lawsuit in order to strike from the South Carolina Constitution a provision expressly intended to thwart the establishment and growth of independent and religious colleges and universities in our state. Why? The historical record is clear the purpose was to deny African Americans and Catholics the hope of a better life through education.

Today, the 20 SCICU member institutions are paying the price for the racist and anti-religious intentions of Ben “Pitchfork” Tillman. Because of the provision in the state constitution prohibiting aid to independent and religious institutions, our governor feels compelled to deny my members access to federal funding clearly intended for us by Congress in the CARES Act.

Governor McMaster initially signaled he would provide federal GEER funding for eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities, five of whom belong to SCICU. A court case predicated on the Blaine Amendment successfully prevented the governor from using GEER funding for private and religious K-12 school students, and discouraged him from following through on the funding for the HBCUs.

The General Assembly’s Act 154 of last year included independent higher education with state and local agencies, and public colleges and universities for reimbursement for COVID-19 expenses from a pool of $115 million of federal CARES Act funding. Chastened by the court case, the South Carolina Department of Administration informed SCICU that its member institutions would not be permitted to continue the process for applying for a portion of this funding out of fear for being sued.

I want to be very clear who the villains are in this story. Ben “Pitchfork” Tillman was an enemy of African Americans and was abetted in his efforts by constitutional language inspired by James G. Blaine whose anti-Catholicism dovetailed nicely with Tillman’s racism. They worked tirelessly to ensure religious organizations would be unable to fully realize their efforts to foster educational institutions that would benefit peoples they considered unfit to participate in the American Dream.

Their legacy is to diminish the capacity of independent colleges and universities to serve their students, whose families in recent months have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fully 45 percent of students at SCICU campuses receive federal Pell Grants, which are designated for the most economically disadvantaged students. These are the students at greatest risk of dropping out.

My member institutions have endured massive disruptions to their operations as a result of the pandemic. They were counting on the federal support contained in GEER and Act 154. And so were the surrounding communities – these colleges and universities are essential to the economic wellbeing of the regions in which they are located.

On a personal note, my academic background is American History. I studied the development of state and federal governments as part of my doctoral research. I join this endeavor with a deep sense of reverence for the intentions of the Founding Fathers who had the courage to imagine a government of the people, by the people and for the people, though they fell short of their aspirations. And for the Civil War generation who advanced that great mission by enshrining equal treatment under the law in the 14th Amendment, though its application has been imperfect. And for modern generations who have struggled, and sometimes died, for those civil rights.

I am humbled by the prospect of continuing their work by absolving South Carolina of the injustice entombed in its constitution.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

When I share that I’m associated with SCICU, there are several questions that always seem to come up:

Q. How do you describe SCICU?
A. We celebrate independent higher education in South Carolina. We applaud the achievements of our campuses and their students and let as many people as we can know. We honor their work by striving to make higher education more accessible and affordable for South Carolina residents, and we provide opportunities for the campuses to collaborate and reproduce successful initiatives.

Q. Is SCICU a state agency?
A. No. SCICU is a private, not-for-profit organization that works on behalf of 20 private colleges and universities in South Carolina.

Q. Does SCICU oversee the campuses?
A. Absolutely not! We serve the campuses. We have no governance or regulatory authority over our member colleges and universities.

Q. Who governs SCICU?
A. SCICU is managed by a Board of Trustees, which includes the presidents of the 20 member institutions.

Q. What campuses can be members of SCICU?
A. There are four qualifications a campus must meet:

• Be a two- or four-year college or university with its primary emphasis in the liberal arts.
• Receive qualified accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
• Be a non-profit institution.
• Be headquartered in South Carolina.

Q. Do you advocate on behalf of the campuses?
A. We sure do, and we are proud to let the governor, legislators and other public officials aware of all that our member institutions are accomplishing on behalf of their students, their communities, and South Carolina. A high point for our advocacy is Independent Colleges and Universities Week, during which we highlight the letter-writing campaign – thousands of students write thank-you notes to legislators for the S.C. Tuition Grants which help them pay for college.

Q. What kind of programs are offered by SCICU?
A. Every year we organize Independent Colleges and Universities Week, and invite students for a rally day at the Statehouse (this year we’ll be virtual). We recognize the hard work and dedication of faculty to their students with the Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Q. Do you have special programs for students attending SCICU colleges and universities?
A. Yes, the Undergraduate Student/Faculty Research Program annually underwrites year-long student research projects. Undergraduate students have opportunities to conduct graduate level research and present their findings in a professional setting. SCICU also offers the McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year scholarship.

Q. Do you fundraise?
A. Yes, and every penny SCICU raises goes to the campuses or their students.

Q. Do you raise money to fund SCICU’s operation?
A. No. Our member institutions pay assessments. We take very seriously the financial commitment of our campuses, and work to make sure they get more from being a member of SCICU than they pay.

Q. How do I stay in-the-know with SCICU?
A. Thanks for visiting our website! It’s one of the best ways to keep up with SCICU’s work. Bookmark our website in your browser at https://www.scicu.org/. You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow us on Twitter (@SCICU_JeffPerez and @SCICU_ShayWest) or Facebook.

Q. Where are you located?
A. The SCICU offices are at 1706 Senate Street in downtown Columbia, four blocks east of the Statehouse (click here for customized driving directions). Stop by and say hello!

Q. How do I pronounce SCICU?
A. Just say “sky-coo,” like “The sky’s the limit!” for students who attend our member colleges and universities.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

Every February, Black History Month is an opportunity to focus on the many achievements and contributions of African Americans. In recognition of Black History Month, I would like to commemorate the brave and dedicated individuals who founded the five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that are SCICU member institutions.

We are all proud of the 150-year history of HBCUs in South Carolina, beginning with Claflin University, founded in 1869 with the mission of offering, for the first time in South Carolina, quality higher education for men and women “regardless of race, complexion, or religious opinion.”

Allen University and Benedict College were both founded one year later. Voorhees College traces its roots back to 1897 and Morris College was established in 1908.

The founders of these HBCUs faced segregation, discrimination and brutal opposition, but they did not waver in their commitment. Buildings may have been burned and faculty, staff, and students threatened, but, owing to their courage, the institutions persisted.

These institutions survived the Great Depression thanks to strong, visionary leaders and generous patrons dedicated to the proposition that all deserve the promise of a brighter future through higher education.

Our HBCUs fueled the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s with a steady stream of well-educated and devoted young men and women who embraced the legacy of courage in the face of injustice they inherited from the founders of these institutions.

Today, our HBCUs are inspiring a new generation of leaders by encouraging them academically to achieve all of which they’re capable and challenging them to advance society with the same passion as those who preceded them.

Message from SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez –

If you were playing legislative poker, this session of the General Assembly would be a hand full of wild cards.

To begin, the General Assembly is confronted by two state budgets. South Carolina state government funding for the current fiscal year (2020-21) is still running under a continuing resolution based on the previous year’s (FY 2019-20) spending levels. There may be interest in amending the continuing resolution to raise current teacher salaries, but legislators must craft a state budget for 2021-22, and the uncertainty over revenues produced by an economy still reeling and recovering from COVID-19 makes committing further funds for this year a tricky proposition.

At least South Carolina is in the black, unlike other states that face stunning deficits. The Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) has reported the state will have an additional $1.2 billion in carryover revenue and other sources to work with. Before COVID-19 the BEA estimated the state’s additional revenue in excess of $1.9 billion. Of what remains, all but about $200 million is non-recurring money that can be spent only once. Likely a chunk of that will be put into a rainy day fund.

The governor last week presented his executive budget, which included good news for independent higher education. McMaster proposes a very generous increase of $20 million in lottery monies for the Tuition Grants Commission, which currently provides grants of up to $3,600 for qualifying South Carolina students attending private colleges and universities in the state. While the executive budget provides data and goals, its recommendations are not binding on the General Assembly, which is where the authority for drafting the state budget resides.

While legislators are trying to focus on the FY 2021-22 budget (and finish out FY 2020-21), they will be facing contentious issues that will demand considerable attention.

At the same time there will be a lot of on-the-job training. There are 21 new legislators in the General Assembly, out of a total 170, including three news Senate Republicans, lifting the GOP caucus to a 14-seat majority.

That expanded Republican majority may prove decisive as the General Assembly addresses re-districting. Every 10 years, armed with new census data, the districts of S.C. House and Senate members are redrawn to maintain population balance – areas with increased populations get more legislators, while declining populations lose members. As the lines are redrawn, incumbent legislators don’t want to be told they no longer have a district, or, just as troublesome, are now living in a district with another legislator. Naturally, legislators want “safe” districts in which their party has a healthy majority of voters.

There will be a lot of jockeying for position. The redistricting process is both art and science, relying on sophisticated computer mapping and legislative leaders skilled at balancing priorities and personalities.

Whither Santee Cooper? Legislative leaders and the governor want to sell Santee Cooper, but a cohort of legislators remain loyal to the state-owned power agency. Previously, just one senator could bog down the legislative machinery by filibustering and introducing an avalanche of amendments. This session the Senate approved a new “cloture” rule allowing senators to limit amendments, as part of their motion to limit debate. Previously, any amendment filed before debate was closed had to be considered.

Legislators will also be looking for state relief to help businesses recover from COVID-19. They would like to see small business grants and some seek limited liability protection from COVID-related lawsuits. And there is great interest, particularly in tourism-driven regions, to lift the remaining restrictions, including the 11 p.m. curfew on alcohol sales in bars and restaurants.

The very emotional issue of abortion and S.1 – the “fetal heartbeat” bill – will also demand significant attention from the General Assembly.

And, in the midst of it all, the General Assembly still must contend with COVID-19 and taking the precautions necessary to keep legislators, staff, and the public safe.

We’ll see how this legislative hand plays out.