South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster Declares New ‘HBCU Day’

South Carolina HBCUs like Benedict College and Claflin University will be celebrated with a new day thanks to the state’s governor! Get the full story from Sophie Brams at 2 News below.

Governor Henry McMaster signed a bill that aims to honor the contributions and efforts of historically Black colleges and universities into law on Tuesday. 

Governor Henry McMaster signed H.4575 which officially designates the third Tuesday of February every year as ‘Historically Black Colleges and Universities Day’ in South Carolina.

The bill was passed by unanimous decision in the South Carolina Senate last week.

South Carolina has eight HBCUs–2 are private and 6 are public. The Higher Education Act of 1965 The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines an HBCU as: ‘…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans.” 

Together, those HBCUs generate roughly $463 million in economic impact for the state and generate close to 5,000 jobs, split evenly between on-campus and off-campus jobs. Each $1 million initially spent by a South Carolina HBCU and its students creates 12 jobs.

HBCUs, in general, are responsible for more than 40 percent of Black engineers, including 47 percent of Black women engineers, 70 percent of Black doctors and dentists50 percent of Black lawyers, and 80 percent of Black judges

In South Carolina, an HBCU graduate working full time can expect to earn $913,000 in additional income due to having college credentials. 

“This is a historic moment,” McMaster said. “The reason South Carolina is so strong, one of the reasons, is because of the contributions of our HBCUs.

HBCUs in SC

Allen University

  • Location: Columbia 
  • Type: Private, 4-year 
  • Total Enrollment: 705 students 
  • Cost of Tuition: $13,340

Benedict College

  • Location: Columbia
  • Type: Private, 4-year
  • Total Enrollment: 1,731 students
  • Cost of Tuition: $17,200

Claflin University

  • Location: Orangeburg
  • Type: Private, 4-year
  • Total Enrollment: 2,048 students 
  • Cost of Tuition: $17,046

Clinton College

  • Location: Rock Hill
  • Type: Private, 4-year
  • Total Enrollment: 119 students
  • Cost of Tuition: $10,020

Denmark Technical College

  • Location: Denmark, SC
  • Type: Public, 2-4 year
  • Total Enrollment: 491 students
  • Cost of Tuition: $5,648 in-state/ $11,065 out-of-state

Morris College

  • Location: Sumter 
  • Type: Private, 4-year
  • Total Enrollment: 395 students 
  • Cost of Tuition: $14,980

South Carolina State University

  • Location: Orangeburg 
  • Type: Public, 4-year
  • Total Enrollment: 2,339 students 
  • Cost of Tuition: $11,060 in-state/ $21,750 out-of-state

Voorhees College 

  • Location: Demark, SC
  • Type: Private, 4-year 
  • Total Enrollment: 368 students 
  • Cost of Tuition: $12,630