COLUMBIA, S.C. — University of South Carolina's President Bob Caslen is pledging to freeze tuition for all USC students during the 2021--2022 academic school year. That was one of the eight strategic priorities he outlined during the annual state of the university address.
USC is celebrating one of the largest freshman classes in school history. More than 8,000 new faces are on campus. Caslen says there were growing concerns that COVID-19 would reduce the freshman class by nearly 4,000 students. Amid the pandemic, Caslen outlined a bold vision for the future. He is pledging to freeze tuition for the next academic year to reduce families' financial burden.
"I've been talking about this valued proposition since I arrived in South Carolina, and it did not take COVID-19 to start the conversation," said Caslen. "But the pandemic has made even more urgent than ever. The value proposition is why reopened in August. We would've never reopened if health experts were against it, but we must deliver on our mission. We must make higher education accessible and affordable, or current students won't stay, prospective students will not give us a chance."
Serving the people of South Carolina is one of the many strategic priorities outlined for the USC motto, "A Path to Excellence."