Hundreds of SC Technical College Students Demonstrate their Appreciation for Lottery Tuition Assistance at State House
COLUMBIA (Jan. 27, 2010) – Hundreds of SC Technical College System students gathered at the State House Tuesday (Jan. 26) to show their support and appreciation for the Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTA) program. Speakers included Dr. Barry Russell, system president; Rep. Phil Owens (R-Anderson), chair, Education and Public Works Committee; and Zach Pitts, an
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| 2010 LTA Rally | |
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| Zach Pitts | |
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| Technical College of the Lowcountry students |
LTA recipient and student at Spartanburg Community College.
The group of more than 300 students represented a fraction of the nearly 285,000 technical college students who have benefitted from LTA since its inception. The 16 technical colleges across the state educate more than half of all undergraduate students in the state. The System educates South Carolinians to live and work in South Carolina – 96% of technical college students are South Carolina citizens and nearly 90% choose to stay in the state after graduation.
“Today we are putting a face on the impressive numbers the SC Technical College System boasts. Each of these 315 students present today has their own personal story of how LTA has helped them achieve their education and career goals. Goals that are important to our state—that will help build a skilled workforce for our future.” said Russell in addressing the crowd of students. “We appreciate the General Assembly’s foresight in creating this program. Their continued support and consistent funding of Lottery Tuition Assistance is vital to ensuring that a quality higher education is accessible and affordable for all South Carolinians.”
Zach Pitts, an LTA recipient enrolled in the Horticulture Technology program at Spartanburg Community College spoke on behalf of technical college students who receive the assistance and gave a riveting speech.
“Without LTA I would not be up here in front of you today. LTA has helped me to go to college and achieve my education goals,” said Pitts, “An educated workforce is critical to the future economic development of the state. LTA is a critical component of helping the citizens of South Carolina get the education they need to provide that workforce.”
“Demand on the resources of the SC Technical College System has never been greater. The technical colleges have made a tremendous impact on the advanced post secondary education levels in this state.” said Owens. “The 16 technical colleges provide the availability for South Carolinians and LTA provides the accessibility.”
The Lottery Tuition Assistance program was created by the General Assembly in 2002 for public two-year institutions. Unlike merit-based lottery-funded aid, award amounts are not guaranteed from semester to semester, and fluctuate based on lottery collections and the demand.
For more photos and video from the event, please visit our LTA – 1 in 3 Facebook site or visit our Flickr site.
