SC State University to eliminate nearly $10 million in student debt

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– South Carolina State University Acting President Alexander Conyers announced the school will clear $9.8 million in student debt. Officials from the university say this will clear the account balances of over 2,500 continuing students.

University officials hope this move will help students who were not able to return to school due to financial hardship brought on by the pandemic.

“We are committed to providing these students with a clear path forward so they can continue their college education and graduate without the burden of financial debt caused by circumstances beyond their control,” Conyers said. “Our university was founded on the tenet of providing students with access to a quality affordable education. That’s exactly what we intend to do. No student should have to sit home because they can’t afford to pay their past due debt after having experienced the financial devastation caused by a global pandemic.”

Students set to receive this aid are excited for the impact this will have on their education and lives after school.

“Honestly, hearing this news brings tears to my eyes,” said Leslie Young, a freshman from Santee, South Carolina, who had to sit out the spring semester because she didn’t have the money to pay tuition. “My family is very low income. I was in a deep depression because school means everything to me. Without it, I felt like I was giving up on my dreams.”

According to officials, roughly $4 million of the debt relief comes from the CARES Act and $5.8 million comes from the American Rescue Plan