Williamsburg Technical College students who participated in the Lottery Tuition Assistance rally at the State House in Columbia included (first row, from left) Sammie Pressley, Karla Joe, Audrey Bowen; (second row) Andrew Bowen, Sharon Robinson, Ashley Montgomery, Thalia Richardson; (third row) Brandon Nolan, David Boyd, Theodore Wright IV, and Theodore Wright III.

Williamsburg Technical College Students Rally at State House

Eleven Williamsburg Technical College students were among the hundreds of technical college students from across the state who gathered at the State House on January 15 in a show of support for the South Carolina Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTA) program. The purpose of the gathering was to show that the program makes a difference and illustrate the need for continuing assistance to help make higher education available to all South Carolinians.

Williamsburg Technical College students who participated included Nesmith resident Sammie Pressley; Georgetown residents Theodore Wright IV and Theodore Wright III; Greeleyville residents Karla Joe and David Boyd; Salters residents Audrey Shinta and Ashley Montgomery; Andrews resident Sharon Robinson; and Kingstree residents Andrew Bowen, Thalia Richardson, and Brandon Nolan.

While pre-lottery political promises touted “free tuition for technical college students” if the South Carolina Education Lottery program was voted into effect, technical college students never realized “free tuition” as a result of the lottery. Additionally, they have had to wait until late each summer to find out how much the LTA allotment per student would be for the fast-approaching fall semester.  Proponents for the technical college system continue to lobby legislators to set a firm amount for LTA disbursement so students and colleges can adequately plan for financial assistance and subsequent admission.

More than 175,000 technical college students have received assistance through the program since it was created by the General Assembly in 2002. The number of LTA students has increased 11 percent in a four year period. LTA is awarded to state residents only, with technical college system students receiving the vast majority of the funding. A recent CHE study showed that 85 percent of “native” technical college graduates remained in state after graduation, a greater portion than any other South Carolina public higher education sector.

Unlike lottery-funded merit scholarships, LTA award amounts are not guaranteed from term to term, creating a challenge for students trying to plan education expenses. LTA is the only lottery funding granted to part-time students. Many technical college students work and often also care for families while pursuing their education, which constitutes an even greater need for financial assistance than traditional college students.