SC House could pay for review of college spending

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The chairman of the House budget-writing committee is looking to hire a national consultant to evaluate spending by South Carolina’s public colleges and find savings that can reduce tuition.

Ways and Means Chairman Brian White says tuition costs are climbing too high. He’s made reining them in a priority.

A subcommittee that handles state spending on colleges heard Tuesday from financial consulting firm Deloitte. It expects to hear from at least two other national firms in the coming weeks.

Deloitte director Rick Ferraro says a review could cost the state several million dollars, but the expected savings would be many times that.

He says a statewide assessment could take six months. He adds that savings can be achieved through bulk purchasing and other efficiencies without laying people off.