[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6308518,"mediaKeyId","2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e","parentId",2421754,"title","Subcommittee chair sets informational-only format for higher-education briefings","audioSeconds",2678,"startMs",28000,"endMs",2706000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e&start=28&end=2706","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e/thumbnail_28000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6308518/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-chair-sets-informational-only-format-for-higher-education-briefings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308518-0601082f6b49a6aed7ef92fff1d92a24/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440129&Signature=KpuEo5K0rv20HO~1U0TUP4Q1e~D6N1reLX5~mcutgdMbntXDXNsf-1YJngbAmdoIkhQfgn5qcEPzjpCT~SnnpjAbY-i-SslMJ12WMKKqh7Prqj0Ldk2Ioi7KIVm9bKNpb44hTPCQgQmhhEliddCrfjO2Tc1tXFkiBpuLTRn~KxWJeCzEsjXy4jjDmfLR34s3rKf~MCpGhoj2DTotqRNzt8e3KTnKjc5ULfcU0vDWchudjq827hnC2c~N7MKhU06LUDiZ2aBcgUVTjoNtHz0zhgq6IoKvQM8i3eoYJ~aBe~Gk6fWllgLAVjjftW57fMj-joizXzpBQMVzEnjRo4pYFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Education and Public Works Committee","date","2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","article","The chair of the House Education and Public Works subcommittee opened the higher education briefing by instructing members that the session was intended to be informational and not a venue for policy debate.

The chair said at the start, “We’re not taking up any policy so I’m happy that we do have some people here,” and reiterated later that the meetings give members a “30,000-foot view” of institutions the legislature affects. He said the format is at the chair’s discretion for informational meetings and asked members to bring policy questions to appropriate policy sessions where votes may occur.

Several members asked clarifying questions about the scope of the informational format and whether that restriction is a formal rule. The chair replied that because no votes are being taken the format reflects “the will of the chair” for this set of sessions and not a standing House rule. He encouraged members to cite specific policies if they believe a question is policy-driven so the committee can address it in the proper forum.

At the close of the session the chair again asked members to avoid turning informational briefings into policy debates and reminded new members that substantive policy debate would occur in scheduled meetings where votes and formal deliberations are on the agenda.

The instruction was procedural guidance from the chair; the subcommittee did not adopt any formal rule change in the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education and Public Works Committee -- E.P.W. Higher Education Subcommittee 02/26/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The chair of the House Education and Public Works subcommittee told members the panel's briefings with college and technical-system leaders are intended as informational sessions, not forums for policy debate or votes, and asked members to reserve policy questions for designated policy sessions.","taxTitle","Education and Public Works, Standing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina","taxId",17503,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308522,"Technical College System highlights workforce training, dual enrollment and scholarship program",752,1500000,2252000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e&start=1500&end=2252","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e/thumbnail_1500000.jpg","/articles/6308522/South-Carolina/Technical-College-System-highlights-workforce-training-dual-enrollment-and-scholarship-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308522-85f360d0486f9dc49daadf3783d1082d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440129&Signature=C8Y0d8a~SkTWC~WNfaPAqOYdf-AuGTX-4q89emPAIiYsjngcyaoBy2k8ftHcfgMZ8ROOJLyRwHR5OePssCEczEGUqHLwWkAybb7dyR7LqGLSwxiRK1VOEJq02evLYMkdOuxGOTVQmIPLO~0pLr0nlI3TUQzxdP~qBaKDCActohxw5-CtmKXFgJ6X4ljHsDOzHae4HyA24~ndlmvz-iRj6cUZu1G2rHTI27dqtrCDYw3bvfIbsg4cDkydsKk8MWT78m-RtGUDb5htDzbbEue~rTpGGHqXcyIfqubxFHkiBbJR0nD~4xIQ2FoHQ72bWtX6EmojB2syn2~79H2AAe9ROw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tim Hardy, president of the South Carolina Technical College System, briefed the House Education and Public Works subcommittee on the system’s role in workforce training, short-term credentialing, dual enrollment and targeted scholarship programs.

Hardy said the system operates 16 colleges with satellite campuses in all 46 counties and focuses on affordability, accessibility and relevance. He reported the system serves roughly 8,000 students in credit programs and about 40,000 in short-term training programs such as electrical lineman, EMT and CDL licensing. The system tracks graduate outcomes, and Hardy said 93% of graduates are working in the field for which they trained one year after completion.

Hardy described apprenticeship and rapid-response training programs run out of the system office — Apprenticeship Carolina, ReadySC and a retraining initiative — and said Apprenticeship Carolina supports about 7,000 apprentices statewide. He highlighted ReadySC’s role in pre-hiring training for large employers (Hardy cited an example where ReadySC prepares trainees for a manufacturer’s 4,000 hires). He also summarized a “heat map” of 72 active projects around the state that the system expects will require training for roughly 14,000 jobs.

Hardy presented return-on-investment data to legislators: for machine-tool graduates the system reported average wages rising from about $32,000 at enrollment to $50,000 after completion (87% still working in South Carolina one year later), and for nursing graduates an increase from roughly $18,000 at enrollment to $60,000 a year after finishing. Hardy said 21,000 nurses have graduated from the system over the last 18 years; 75% of nursing graduates were still working in South Carolina 10 years after graduation.

On scholarships and incentives, Hardy noted the SC WINDS scholarship line in the Ways and Means budget is $90 million. He said the state board decides program eligibility for SC WINDS dollars based on documented business and industry shortages and that about 40,000 residents have benefited from the technical system’s scholarship programs to date.

Hardy stressed dual enrollment as an affordability and access tool: roughly 19,000 high-school juniors and seniors are dually enrolled in technical college courses; the system estimates potential reach to about 25,000 such students. He described outreach efforts that begin earlier than high school, including partnerships with the Governor’s School for Science and Math to host weeklong summer STEM camps for middle-schoolers on technical college campuses across the state.

Hardy identified challenges: a low statewide unemployment rate alongside thousands of unfilled job openings creates a labor-supply mismatch, and rural areas face particular difficulties in both economic development and delivering training. He invited committee members to the Technical College System’s legislative day event at the State House and offered follow-up support to legislators.

Hardy’s presentation was informational; the committee did not take votes or issue directives during the briefing.","Tim Hardy, president of the South Carolina Technical College System, told the Education and Public Works subcommittee the system trains thousands through short-term programs and dual enrollment, reported high post-graduation employment rates and described targeted scholarship funding (SC WINDS) aligned to industry needs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308525,"Coastal Carolina President outlines enrollment growth, new programs and tuition promise",884,250000,1134000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e&start=250&end=1134","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2421754-a88729b2191e997b96e1e0fb6f59242e/thumbnail_250000.jpg","/articles/6308525/South-Carolina/Coastal-Carolina-President-outlines-enrollment-growth-new-programs-and-tuition-promise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308525-6cc5ddfdd00167db5d975891eb3fc833/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440129&Signature=KQnonBzHcL6RcT7IitwETjt3n9b-5~K9h4y7mTe9oOJb8o8LbfGdDOWjtKK0nF2wPl7kHuoDyHaetQL-Hw5PA1l~zEIfcyGa1VOHIuZV21lBpzJHHDWAcCPXbm8MsTzPpMvTrL813bD-Tg4mC3AkYXxcifNGmBTmDfxmReq3CHPhvo10rnTr1vC7OrbRFTBJ9QAooggGyPvRj2QBleTuxMwgLF7WCkZYEmoKM9PBooU54w3Y3pc~JhW0DTTtLWMHNGbI7t82QJt8xouiBpRqetfNf5rnbv2eZRio6PQ3zXhUGWIx~~OL4Vge91JnwU0qS-afI~fToUk9TwJXm58qMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coastal Carolina University President Michael Benson told the House Education and Public Works subcommittee on an informational day that the university is seeing record demand, expanding academic offerings and pursuing new facilities and research capacity.

Benson said Coastal received a record 24,000 applications for the coming fall, a near 20% increase from last year, and reported the university’s highest recent fall enrollment of 11,389 students. He said first-year retention (fall-to-next-fall) has risen to 77.5% from 67% eight years earlier.

The university, Benson said, is expanding programs to meet local workforce needs, including newly launched nursing, cyber threat intelligence and commercial and investment real estate degrees, and a PGM (Professional Golf Management) program building; he noted Coastal is one of 18 PGA-sanctioned PGM programs and the only one in the state north to it besides NC State and Methodist. Benson also described plans and recent completions on campus: a new Thompson Library, a $20 million indoor practice facility, and a planned Pedway across U.S. 17A (state highway) that received $5 million in state appropriation and matching federal funding to improve student safety.

Benson emphasized the university’s focus on student success and access. “We’re not gonna take the test for you... but we’re gonna put you in a position to be successful,” he said, summarizing Coastal’s emphasis on mentoring, undergraduate research, internships and study abroad. He highlighted student achievement, including the university’s first Truman Scholarship finalist and recent Fulbright cohort strength.

On affordability, Benson announced a board-approved tuition promise: students in the top 10% of their high school class with household incomes of $80,000 or less will pay no tuition through a combination of scholarships and federal Pell grants without loans, he said. He described that policy as board-approved and expected to continue after his departure as president. Benson also said Coastal offers a transfer promise and a “CCU Complete” online re-enrollment program that lets returning students take five courses at $100 each; the program has already produced two graduates.

Benson addressed Coastal’s research status and ambitions. He said Coastal meets the doctorate-count criteria for a higher Carnegie classification and is about $200,000 short of the sponsored-research threshold needed to move into the Carnegie “R2” category. He also described a student-driven small-satellite program in partnership with NASA and noted institutional efforts to grow sponsored research.

Benson thanked the Horry County Higher Education Commission and local penny sales tax mechanism, which he said provide substantial local funding for scholarships, capital and research. He also noted a close partnership with Horry-Georgetown Technical College and said that Tim Hardy, president of the Technical College System, will be an honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker.

Benson concluded by citing several figures of campus growth and priorities — enrollment and application records, new academic programs and facilities, retention gains and a tuition promise aimed at high-achieving South Carolina students with limited household income.

Coastal’s presentation to the committee was informational; no committee votes or policy decisions were taken during the briefing.","Coastal Carolina University President Michael Benson told the House Education and Public Works subcommittee that the university has record application and enrollment numbers, new academic and facility projects, a tuition promise for qualified in-state students and growing research activity as it seeks higher Carnegie classification.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee chair sets informational-only format for higher-education briefings

Technical College System highlights workforce training, dual enrollment and scholarship program

Coastal Carolina President outlines enrollment growth, new programs and tuition promise