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Local colleges update council: Technical College seeks workforce center funding, USCB seeks higher millage and support for SandShark convocation center
Summary
Representatives from the Technical College of the Lowcountry and University of South Carolina Beaufort updated the finance committee on enrollment, dual‑enrollment partnerships and capital projects; TCL seeks partners to close a funding gap for a regional workforce training center while USCB requested a millage increase and support for a campus convocation center.
Representatives from the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) and the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) updated the county finance committee on student enrollment, workforce training partnerships, and capital projects that they said would expand workforce pipelines for the region.
TCL leaders reported enrollment growth in recent terms and highlighted dual‑enrollment partnerships with the Beaufort County School District. TCL said it is advancing the Arthur E. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center project as a 50,000‑square‑foot facility to provide training aligned to local employer demand. Presenters said the cost estimate has risen over time and that TCL is seeking additional local and philanthropic support to reach its funding target, describing a current project cost estimate materially higher than earlier figures and noting the extra cost of construction delays.
The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) asked the committee to support a millage increase from 1.1 to 1.3 mills (a recurring local revenue source routed through the Beaufort Jasper Higher Education Commission) to help offset tuition‑sensitivity, rising personnel and infrastructure costs. USCB leaders said their enrollment had produced nearly 859 Beaufort County students and that growth in dual‑enrollment and workforce‑oriented degrees supports local economic development. USCB’s Education Foundation vice chair presented the SandShark 2020 convocation center concept — a campus arena, athletic and event complex that proponents say would support graduation ceremonies, athletics, cultural events and community engagement. The presenters said the state has committed $40 million and that the foundation seeks multi‑county and county participation in a funding plan designed not to increase county property taxes through the proposed financing approach.
Both institutions emphasized workforce alignment: TCL with training and industry partnerships and USCB with degree programs, experiential learning and athletics as a student‑engagement strategy. The committee received both briefings for consideration in the county’s higher‑education funding discussions; no county appropriation was made at the meeting.
