Committee approves 9% tuition hike

Citadel cadets likely will pay 9 percent more for tuition next year after a Board of Visitors' committee Friday approved the increase.

The full board will vote today on the committee's recommendation.

Under the plan, tuition for in-state students next year will be $8,428. That's up from $7,735 this year.

Cadets who live outside South Carolina also face a 9 percent increase in tuition. If the plan is approved, they will pay $21,031 next year, up from $19,291 this year.

According to school officials, they had to increase tuition to make up, in part, for a $500,000 cut in state funding, a mandated 1 percent pay increase for state employees, and other necessary expenses.

Maj. Gen. Arthur Baiden, the board's chairman, said for The Citadel to cover increased operating costs and meet its true financial needs, it should raise tuition at least 11.2 percent.

But Lt. Gen. John Rosa, the school's president, said "we must avoid the public perception that The Citadel is gouging people."

He said he understands that in tough economic conditions, it's a hardship for many parents to pay more than they are now.

But, he said, he knows that an increase of at least 9 percent is necessary. And, he said, the administration will continue to do its part to cut costs. "I must make things more efficient, more cost-saving," Rosa said.

The college also decided to boost tuition 16 percent for in-state students at The Citadel Graduate College. Next year, they will pay $325 per credit, up from $280 this year. Tuition for out-of-state graduate students will increase from $503 to $534, which represents a 6 percent increase.

Reach Diane Knich at dknich@postandcourier.com or 937-5491.