South Carolina’s Commission on Higher Education (SCCHE) is sounding the alarm over soaring college tuition costs in the Palmetto State.
According to a tweet from the agency, college tuition costs in South Carolina are climbing at a “much higher rate” than health care and housing costs – or median household incomes.
From 1987 to 2015, SCCHE says higher education costs have climbed by an astronomical 761 percent – compared to a 240 percent increase in health care costs, a 130 percent increase in housing costs and an 85 percent increase in income levels.
South Carolina’s higher education price increase over this time frame is much higher than the national increase of 549 percent. Meanwhile our state’s income growth lags behind the national increase of 115 percent.
Here’s a look at the chart the agency tweeted out on Thursday …
(Click to view)
(Via: @SCCommHigherEd)
Does any of this data surprise us? Absolutely not …
As we’ve stated repeatedly, South Carolina is an ongoing case study in inefficient, ineffective government. “More money, more problems,” in other words.
Despite steady increases in taxing, borrowing and spending, state government continues producing abysmal outcomes – economically, fiscally, educationally and with regards to infrastructure, public safety and other core functions of government.
Compounding this problem? Higher education isn’t – or at least shouldn’t be – something taxpayers are forced to subsidize, something else this news site has been saying for years.
“It is simply not a core function of government – whether via direct appropriations to institutions or taxpayer-guaranteed student loans,” we wrote in a post earlier today.
In fact these student loans have become an existential threat to our economy …
If we’ve said it once we’ve said it a million times: It is past time America’s colleges and universities were set free to pursue their destinies in the private sector.
UPDATE: Looks like this issue is getting some attention …
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