SC

Clemson’s Skyrocketing Tuition Costs

Clemson University raised its tuition costs by three percent for undergraduate students (and four percent for graduate school students) this week, the school announced. And while Clemson officials (and our state’s supplicant mainstream media) are hailing this latest hike as the school’s smallest tuition increase in fifteen years, it’s worth…

Clemson University raised its tuition costs by three percent for undergraduate students (and four percent for graduate school students) this week, the school announced. And while Clemson officials (and our state’s supplicant mainstream media) are hailing this latest hike as the school’s smallest tuition increase in fifteen years, it’s worth looking back over this time period for some context.

According to Clemson’s Office of Instutional Research, yearly tuition and fees for the 1998-1999 school year totaled $3,344 for in-state students and $9,100 for out-of-state students. Adjusting those figures for inflation, we ought to be looking at $4,779 per year for in-state students and $13,004 for out-of-state students in 2013 dollars.

Clemson’s actual tuition costs? For the 2013-14 school year, in-state students will pay $13,054 while out-of-state students will shell out $30,488 (the school has yet to determine its fees for the coming school year, incidentally).

Those are massive increases even after adjusting for inflation … 173 percent for in-state students and 134 percent for out-of-state students.

Clemson – which is run by an unconstitutional governing board – has been ballooning its budget in recent years to pay for all sorts of unnecessary expenditures. Among them? Its wasteful “public service” division, a wind turbine facility and an entire campus devoted to a Confederate submarine. Then there’s the school’s totally unnecessary architecture school in Charleston, S.C. (which will soon be employing its president – James Barker).

Clemson is slated to receive $783 million in the FY 2013-14 state budget – an increase of $6 million from last year. Its “public services” division will receive another $69.4 million.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – higher education is not a core function of government: Which is why we believe every single one of the state’s thirty-three government-run colleges and universities should be set free to pursue their destinies as private institutions.

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32 comments

Vanguard16 June 25, 2013 at 8:59 am

A quality education costs money unlike USCjr. where to have to fail, you have to try.

Reply
Gillon June 25, 2013 at 9:11 am

Judging by your writing ability, whatever Clempson charged you (if indeed you went there) was way too much.

Reply
Imembarressed June 25, 2013 at 10:42 pm

Clowney

Reply
Vanguard16 June 25, 2013 at 8:59 am

A quality education costs money unlike USCjr. where to fail, you have to try.

Reply
Gillon June 25, 2013 at 9:11 am

Judging by your writing ability, whatever Clempson charged you (if indeed you went there) was way too much.

Reply
Imembarressed June 25, 2013 at 10:42 pm

Clowney

Reply
CNSYD June 25, 2013 at 9:04 am

Typical Sic Willie and his BS. He KNOWS public services are mandated by federal law as a result of Clemson being the state’s land grant school. Every state has a land grant school and provides public services. Sic Willie doesn’t want you to know that. What endeavors is the Restoration Institute involved with? Another area Sic Willie doesn’t want you to know about. He wants you to think that they ONLY work on the Hunley. Does Sic Willie hate the Hunley? Not really, he just hates Glenn McConnell.

Interesting that Sic Willie knows the inflated value of 2013 dollars as 2013 is not yet half over. Must be his crystal ball. In order to compare apples to apples, how have tuitions at peer institutions risen in the same time frame? Is Sic Willie ignoring that?

Reply
CNSYD June 25, 2013 at 9:04 am

Typical Sic Willie and his BS. He KNOWS public services are mandated by federal law as a result of Clemson being the state’s land grant school. Every state has a land grant school and provides public services. Sic Willie doesn’t want you to know that. What endeavors is the Restoration Institute involved with? Another area Sic Willie doesn’t want you to know about. He wants you to think that they ONLY work on the Hunley. Does Sic Willie hate the Hunley? Not really, he just hates Glenn McConnell.

Interesting that Sic Willie knows the inflated value of 2013 dollars as 2013 is not yet half over. Must be his crystal ball. In order to compare apples to apples, how have tuitions at peer institutions risen in the same time frame? Is Sic Willie ignoring that?

Reply
GreenvilleLwyr June 25, 2013 at 9:21 am

Securing the Rock costs money, people.

Reply
trango towers June 25, 2013 at 10:49 pm

Dude….you are consistently funny. Hats off .

Reply
GreenvilleLwyr June 26, 2013 at 7:33 am

Thank you, sir. Don’t forget to tip your waiter.

Reply
GreenvilleLwyr June 25, 2013 at 9:21 am

Securing the Rock costs money, people.

Reply
trango towers June 25, 2013 at 10:49 pm

Dude….you are consistently funny. Hats off .

Reply
GreenvilleLwyr June 26, 2013 at 7:33 am

Thank you, sir. Don’t forget to tip your waiter.

Reply
Squishy123 June 25, 2013 at 9:23 am

Why didn’t you write an article on USC’s 3.15% tuition increase?

Reply
Curious June 25, 2013 at 9:25 am

I’d like to see that increase in the same 15 year context that was described above for purposes of comparison.

Reply
Tool June 25, 2013 at 10:47 pm

Maybe USC’s larger tuition hike would be news ordinarily, but ahem……

Reply
Squishy123 June 25, 2013 at 9:23 am

Why didn’t you write an article on USC’s 3.15% tuition increase?

Reply
Curious June 25, 2013 at 9:25 am

I’d like to see that increase in the same 15 year context that was described above for purposes of comparison.

Reply
Tool June 25, 2013 at 10:47 pm

Maybe USC’s larger tuition hike would be news ordinarily, but ahem……

Reply
idiotwind June 25, 2013 at 10:14 am

i don’t see how free enterprise would solve this particular problem, but i’m very open to hearing about it.

Reply
Frank Pytel June 25, 2013 at 10:53 am

As to tuition it’s quite simple. If you withdraw all public funding from the university/state college system then no one will be able to afford it. If no one can afford classes one of two things will happen:

1. All Universities and colleges that receive state funding of any kind will go out of business because no one can afford to attend there schools. Of course private schools will take up some of the slack as the rich will always send there kids to school. People that can not afford to attend these schools will migrate to the huge number of schools that provide their teaching online, for free! (MIT, Harvard, Princeton). This will cause a dramatic decrease in the amount of money stolen from the pockets of graduates/learners which will create a massive influx in spending/saving thereby saving our way of life.

2. Administrators will see that the gravy boat has broken, the gravy train has jumped the tracks, however you want to put it. They will adapt. Many will retire. Some will continue on at lower wages. Many will drop their malpractice insurance creating a massive influx of available revenue to them which will enhance (not restore) their earnings to a reasonable level. Tuition levels drop thereby increasing the available number of students that can afford college. Further there is less need for tax dollars so, ideally, taxpayers would be able to pay less in taxes or future tax increases could be delayed.

Any way you look at it, the free market has all the contingencies built in by its very nature. If too many can’t afford it, adjustments will be made. Basic Math.
Have a Great Day!! :)

Reply
Frank Pytel June 25, 2013 at 2:32 pm Reply
idiotwind June 25, 2013 at 10:14 am

i don’t see how free enterprise would solve this particular problem, but i’m very open to hearing about it.

Reply
Frank Pytel June 25, 2013 at 10:53 am

As to tuition it’s quite simple. If you withdraw all public funding from the university/state college system then no one will be able to afford it. If no one can afford classes one of two things will happen:

1. All Universities and colleges that receive state funding of any kind will go out of business because no one can afford to attend there schools. Of course private schools will take up some of the slack as the rich will always send there kids to school. People that can not afford to attend these schools will migrate to the huge number of schools that provide their teaching online, for free! (MIT, Harvard, Princeton). This will cause a dramatic decrease in the amount of money stolen from the pockets of graduates/learners which will create a massive influx in spending/saving thereby saving our way of life.

2. Administrators will see that the gravy boat has broken, the gravy train has jumped the tracks, however you want to put it. They will adapt. Many will retire. Some will continue on at lower wages. Many will drop their malpractice insurance creating a massive influx of available revenue to them which will enhance (not restore) their earnings to a reasonable level. Tuition levels drop thereby increasing the available number of students that can afford college. Further there is less need for tax dollars so, ideally, taxpayers would be able to pay less in taxes or future tax increases could be delayed.

Any way you look at it, the free market has all the contingencies built in by its very nature. If too many can’t afford it, adjustments will be made. Basic Math.
Have a Great Day!! :)

(Now if you really want to talk serious reductions in the cost of higher education lets talk STUDENT LOANS :) )

Reply
Frank Pytel June 25, 2013 at 2:32 pm Reply
A face in the crowd June 25, 2013 at 12:12 pm

Next year the state government will likely pass the so-called Enterprise Act, giving Clemson more freedom to pursue its various construction projects. I believe you will then see the negative effects of free enterprise in higher education, where the key issues will not revolve around education, but which fast-food companies to invite to campus, which wireless plans to install in new dorms, and so on.

Reply
A face in the crowd June 25, 2013 at 12:12 pm

Next year the state government will likely pass the so-called Enterprise Act, giving Clemson more freedom to pursue its various construction projects. I believe you will then see the negative effects of free enterprise in higher education, where the key issues will not revolve around education, but which fast-food companies to invite to campus, which wireless plans to install in new dorms, and so on.

Reply
Capt. Nemo June 25, 2013 at 12:13 pm

The tuition hike is due largely to the increase in aviation fuel.

Reply
Capt. Nemo June 25, 2013 at 12:13 pm

The tuition hike is due largely to the increase in aviation fuel.

Reply
Scooter June 25, 2013 at 7:17 pm

you have to pay for quality

Reply
Scooter June 25, 2013 at 7:17 pm

you have to pay for quality

Reply

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