Daniel Prince
School announces rapid growth in wake of free tuition initiative
Spartanburg Community College announced its first-ever mascot at a press conference yesterday. Chaser, the border collie, will represent the college, whose students, faculty, staff, and alumni will now be officially known as the Spartanburg Community College Chasers, with the tag line, “Dream It! Chase It! Live It!” The school says its student population dreams of a brighter future, chases down their goals, and lives out their dreams.
SCC President Dr. Michael Mikota updated those attending on the school’s Free Tuition Initiative. In the months following the announcement of that initiative, enrollment has rapidly grown. The school announced a 32% overall increase in enrollment over 2019, with a total of 6097 students enrolled in classes. Mikota noted an even greater increase in older students, with a 66% increase among students ages 24 and older. Enrollment at the SCC Union County Campus has increased by 35% over 2019, second only to the growth at the Cherokee County Campus, at 37%. The Spartanburg campus saw an increase of 24%. The number of minorities at the college also increased, with a 55% increase in African American enrollment, a 44% increase in Hispanic enrollment, a 10% increase in Asian enrollment, and a 37% increase among other races.