{"id":137,"date":"2026-05-20T10:06:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=137"},"modified":"2026-05-20T10:06:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:06:28","slug":"usc-clemson-froze-in-state-tuition-in-2020-so-why-do-they-cost-8k-more-a-year-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=137","title":{"rendered":"USC, Clemson froze in-state tuition in 2020. So why do they cost $8K more a year now?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Since 2019, the South Carolina General Assembly has sent the state\u2019s public colleges and universities additional money each year in exchange for a promise to hold tuition flat for in-state students.<\/p>\n

Read more Housing in this SC county growing fastest in US & it\u2019s not even close, new Census data shows<\/a><\/p>\n

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The arrangement has ensured that Palmetto State residents pay no more for classes at Clemson or Carolina today than they did six years ago, even as in-state tuition rates nationally have increased nearly 14%, or about $1,500, over the same period.<\/p>\n

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But some lawmakers suspect that universities have jacked up other costs to offset the tuition money they\u2019re leaving on the table. Student housing and dining costs are rising, and the imposition of mandatory new athletics fees at both Clemson and USC in recent years has only magnified concerns.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhile we have been contributing taxpayer dollars to mitigate tuition, the universities, on an annual basis, have systemically been increasing the cost of housing for living on campus, and they\u2019ve been raising meal plan costs,\u201d Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said during a debate on the issue last month. \u201cAnd when you require students to live on campus, and then you require students who live on campus to purchase meal plans, you are effectively raising those costs for a lot of your students.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Both Clemson and USC now estimate that an in-state undergraduate who lives on campus will spend about $40,000 annually, all-inclusive. That\u2019s about $8,000 more than the same student would have spent six years ago, despite the fact tuition hasn\u2019t budged.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFrom a parent\u2019s perspective, if you\u2019re paying the bill, it doesn\u2019t matter whether you\u2019re telling me it\u2019s tuition or a mandatory cost,\u201d Massey said. \u201cIt\u2019s all coming out of the same pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A spokesman for the University of South Carolina said the state\u2019s flagship school had not raised other costs to get around the tuition freeze.<\/p>\n

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He said USC\u2019s program fees had not increased since the General Assembly launched its tuition mitigation effort, and that any hikes in housing and dining costs were attributable to inflation or contractual obligations with third-party providers.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe increase in housing and meals are not to make up for tuition,\u201d USC spokesman Jeff Stensland wrote in an emailed statement, adding that students pay no more than the average U.S. consumer for either commodity, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n

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Clemson did not respond to a request for comment on the university\u2019s rising costs.<\/p>\n

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Is inflation really to blame?<\/h2>\n

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While Massey acknowledged that higher prices are a reality across the country, he said he was skeptical that inflation alone accounted for the increased cost of attendance.<\/p>\n

Read more SC House committee sued for rule change during congressional redistricting debate<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cFood may cost more depending on what you\u2019re buying,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I would bet anything that the fees they\u2019re charging exceed the increased cost of their food.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A look at inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, shows the senator may be on to something<\/p>\n

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Since the 2019-2020 school year, the combined annual cost of housing, meals and books at the University of South Carolina has increased more than $4,300, . That\u2019s roughly $718 per year on average, or about $206 more per year than inflation alone would predict, an analysis by The State found.<\/p>\n

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