Caslen announces tuition freeze in first State of the University address

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — On Wednesday, University of South Carolina President Bob Caslen gave his State of the University address. This was his first address since becoming president in July of 2019.

“There are challenges ahead for higher education all over the country. But the University of South Carolina has perhaps never been so well prepared to tackle the future and succeed. We have never been so highly regarded, highly accomplished, or highly sought after as a destination for those seeking a top-notch degree,” said Caslen.

A major part of Caslen’s speech was announcing a tuition freeze for the next school year.

“It is with our new students in mind, and with all of our current and future students and their families, that I pledge to freeze tuition for the 2021 to 2022 academic year,” said Caslen.

He says tuition has to get under control, especially now when many families may be struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I saw one study that said that if you look at the per capita income of the state, 50 states, and you look at the flagship public university’s tuition, we rank 50 out of 50 in the nation. In other words, we have the highest tuition rate for per capita income in the nation,” said Caslen. “If we’re going to make this university accessible and affordable, we have to get our hands around tuition. I’m very pleased that our board put together a new budget model. It’s going to require our academic units to find revenue sources, and to really manage their budgets.”

Caslen also touched on steps needed to solidify UofSC’s role as the state’s flagship university, like expanding access to underserved residents and boosting its research enterprise.

“By serving the people of the great state of South Carolina, we will become the nation’s preeminent flagship university. That is our vision, and that is our path to excellence,” said Caslen.