Coastal Carolina president seeks tuition mitigation, scholarships, research and capital funding amid enrollment growth

Coastal Carolina University President Jamie Winebreak told the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Higher Education on Monday that the university’s enrollment and regional economic footprint justify a multi-part set of state requests, including both recurring tuition mitigation and capital projects.

Winebreak, who said he joined Coastal in July, told members the university recorded fall enrollment of 12,006 students and is now the third-largest in the state. He said Coastal’s application volume is rising — ‘‘our applications are up about 12% year over year’’ — and that the institution estimates it generates roughly $775,000,000 in annual economic activity for the region. ‘‘We are a destination university,’’ Winebreak said, adding that about ‘‘60% of our alumni stay in South Carolina.’’

The university laid out seven requests to the subcommittee. Winebreak described a tuition-mitigation calculation ‘‘a shade over $3,000,000’’ intended to help keep in‑state tuition affordable. He also proposed a new ‘‘Teal Pathways’’ scholarship to support 2+2 transfers: the plan envisions 175 juniors and 175 seniors receiving $5,000 per year (350 students total, $1,750,000 estimated).

On workforce development, Winebreak proposed a paid internship pilot (‘‘Teal Works’’) to place roughly 75 students in high‑demand fields with stipends of $3,000 for typical placements and $4,000 for internships in rural or underserved areas. ‘‘It helps those communities to have students engage there,’’ he said, describing the program as a recruitment tool for underserved employers.

Capital and research requests included $5,000,000 for an expanded research and conference facility on Waties Island to support coastal research and policy programming; roughly $900,000 to acquire an underwater autonomous vehicle paired with $450,000 to finish and launch a student-built satellite so sea and space observations can be calibrated together; and a $34,000,000 proposal to build a 50,000-square-foot annex to the student union to house career services, expanded veterans services, alumni mentorship space and a workforce/entrepreneurship development zone.

Winebreak also asked for authorization to spend existing university funds and to add personnel capacity, requesting permission to expend approximately $41,000,000 and to establish 49 full-time equivalent positions to support growing enrollment. He characterized that as ‘‘not an ask for funding’’ but an authorization to use funds the university already controls.

Members pressed Winebreak on the share of out‑of‑state students and their impact on in‑state tuition. Representative Cobb Hunter asked whether ‘‘out‑of‑state students are the ones who are carrying the freight for a lot of our higher ed costs.’’ Winebreak replied Coastal is roughly ‘‘40% in‑state, 60% out‑of‑state’’ and said rising out‑of‑state tuition helps subsidize in‑state tuition; he added that ‘‘60% of our alumni stay in South Carolina’’ and about 30% remain within a 50‑mile radius of the university.

On admissions, Winebreak said Coastal accepts 93% of qualified in‑state applicants and 76% of out‑of‑state applicants, and he described a set of in‑state access programs (Top‑10 Promise, Palmetto Life admission guarantees and CCU Complete for near‑completers) aimed at lowering barriers for South Carolina residents.

Committee members also questioned Winebreak about immigration and H‑1B visa policy impacts on faculty recruiting and about campus free‑speech controversies. Winebreak said the university has seen anecdotal declines in international applicants and confirmed that one staff member had been dismissed after ‘‘crossing the line’’ in a speech‑related incident, while otherwise affirming the university’s commitment to academic freedom.

The subcommittee did not vote on any requests during the session. Chair Ballantyne invited written follow‑ups and signaled the presentations would inform upcoming budget deliberations.