University trustees approved a $936 million operating budget for 2006-07 that includes a 6.75 percent tuition and fee increase for USC Columbia undergraduate students.

The increase will raise tuition and fees by $247 per semester for the new academic year to $3,904 per semester for in-state students and by $640 to $10,118 per semester for out-of-state students. All graduate students will see a 6.76 percent increase; medical students will pay 5 percent more, as will law students.

Tuition and fees will rise by 8.57 percent ($271) for USC Aiken ($3,335 total per semester); 9.8 percent ($255) for USC Beaufort ($2,862 total per semester); and 8.8 percent ($291) for USC Upstate ($3,609 total per semester). USC's regional campuses--Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, and Union--will have tuition and fee increases totaling 7.6 percent ($164) for a $2,326 total per semester.

"This year's generous increase in funding from the General Assembly will allow us to put much-needed resources toward our ongoing effort of building one of the very best living and learning environments for our students while keeping their tuition increases low," President Sorensen said.

Tuition increases on the Columbia campus are expected to generate slightly more than $11 million in revenue, which will be used for education funding and to expand and improve student technology resources; expand the Academic Success Center; and provide training and recruitment of new law enforcement officers.

State appropriations for fiscal year 2007 total $214 million for the University system; $150.2 million for the Columbia campus. Included in the Columbia campus funding is $4 million in recurring funding for the Faculty Excellence Initiative and $500,000 for the Congaree River Initiative, an interdisciplinary ecological research project. The Columbia campus also will receive $1.5 million in non-recurring funds for the Congaree River Initiative, which could expand to include other South Carolina rivers; $250,000 for the Small Business Development Center; $200,000 for the city of Columbia Incubator Project; and $200,000 for the Palmetto Poison Control Center.

Non-recurring funds also are earmarked for USC Aiken $599,237; USC Beaufort, $502,175; USC Upstate, $1.87 million; USC Lancaster, $650,000; USC Salkehatchie, $100,000; USC Sumter, $51,269; and USC Union, $16,206. USC Lancaster will receive an additional $200,000 for facilities repairs and $100,000 for tennis court repaving.

7/06