COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has announced a $17 Million investment into South Carolina's Technical Colleges. It's to allow those schools to offer students free tuition to earn credentials for certain high-demand jobs.
This is the governor's latest effort to address the labor shortage issue in the Palmetto State. The free tuition is for the Spring 2022 semester.
"For the most part, it helps me a great deal, financially," said student Gail Bryant.
Bryant is 60-years-old and is seizing the opportunity at Midlands Technical College.
"It helps me tremendously," Bryant said. "I am having financial difficulties of my own right now, I'm not working I'm waiting for social security."
The multi-mullion dollar investment is funded through the federal Government's Emergency Education Relief fund, also known as GEER.
The investment is providing tuition relief for more than 15,000 students across the state.
"Especially with everything going on with the finances nowadays, free tuition, I think it a great thing," Bryant said.
Barrie Kirk is the provost at Midlands Technical College. She said this will pay for tuition and fees for new and current students.
"The financial piece of going to college is, can often be a barrier for some students, and this completely eliminates that barrier," Kirk said.
Scholarship recipients will be required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average and complete one of the following requirements:
- Complete 100 hours of voluntary time to a nonprofit or public-service organization; or
- Are employed; or
- Take a financial literacy course offered at the technical college.
The funds can only be used for associate degrees, or industry credentials in high-demand careers like health care, manufacturing, IT, transportation distribution and logistics, computer science, and construction.
"I think everyone should have free tuition," said Ana Goodwin, MTC student.
Midlands Tech is looking at other ways to provide free tuition for all its students for spring semester, including Goodwin.
"I feel like everyone deserves a chance at education," Goodwin said. "I know that a lot of people, they want a nice career and a better life but the money part is in the way for them."
Kirk said students have to apply for federal student aid before they can receive the free tuition.
Governor McMaster also asked the state's General Assembly to provide $124 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to extend the program through June 30, 2024.
The State Superintendent, Molly Spearman said she "supports state efforts to make post-secondary education more attainable to students across South Carolina. The Governor’s use of GEER funds for this purpose has her full support."
For more information and to apply to MTC, click here.