Charter Schools and the Free College Opportunity

Institute at Erskine's Cameron Runyon joined Tyler Ryan on Good Morning Columbia

COLUMBIA SC (WOLO)- The amount Charter schools continue to grow in the State of South Carolina and beyond, as parents are exploring alternatives to a traditional education.  According to The Charter Institute at Erskine Director Cameron Runyon, charter schools are public schools in that they are open to any student, however, are hyper focused on specific disciplines, often times giving students a jump start not only on college, but a career.

Like public schools, charter schools are free to attend, and depending on if the school is a start charter or local charter, students are not bound to a geographical location when deciding on a school.

Runyon explains that the majority of charter schools do not use local tax dollars, which would take away from local districts, which requires them to be more efficient and operate on a leaner budget.  He points out that there are blended, such as Grey Academy, which offer a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit simultaneously.  “This allows a student to enter college as a junior,” Runyon says, “this cuts down on the overall cost of college.”

The Charter Institute at Erskine, which operates as a part of Erskine College also offers scholarships to students up to $100,000, which means a student could graduate college without any major loans to pay back.

You can learn more about charter schools and the Charter Institute at Erskine HERE.

Tyler Ryan is an award winning television and radio personality and currently serves as a co-host and weather anchor on Good Morning Columbia.  You can follow him on Twitter, InstaGram, and Facebook, or email him HERE.