| THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Governor Henry McMaster issued his vetoes for the state budget on Wednesday, June 4. There are no vetoes specific to Clemson University’s priorities. |
| THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS |
| As a recap, the Clemson-specific items in the budget are as follows: Clemson E&G Recurring: $12.2 million in recurring funding for in state tuition mitigation $4 million in recurring funding for Student Experiential Learning $4 million in recurring funding for the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism $500,000 in recurring funding for the Clemson Energy Center Clemson E&G Nonrecurring: $40 million in nonrecurring funding for the NextGen Computing Complex $4 million in nonrecurring funding for Maintenance, Renovation and Replacement Clemson PSA Recurring: $600,000 in recurring funding for Statewide Operational and Programmatic Support $1 million in recurring funding for Food Safety and Nutrition Agents $500,000 in recurring funding for Critical Vehicles & Equipment Clemson PSA Nonrecurring: $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Planned Maintenance and Critical Infrastructure The budget also includes a 2% base pay increase for both classified and unclassified employees of institutions of higher education. A proviso remains that allows flexibility to reward unclassified employees with merit-based increases. The budget includes an increase in the cost of health insurance contributions for state employees and employers. The state will pay for the employee portion and the university will be responsible for the employer portion. The budget contains several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University: $10 million in nonrecurring lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools Over $3.5 million in nonrecurring lottery dollars for the College Transition Programs (ClemsonLIFE), which provide scholarships for South Carolina residents with intellectual disabilities to complete a postsecondary education program, which includes academic coursework and career exploration, thereby preparing them for independent living and employment. An additional $695,000 in recurring funds for Call Me Mister, which brings the total annual state investment in this program to $1,195,000. |
| BILLS OF INTEREST |
| Clemson’s Governmental Affairs Team tracked over 100 pieces of legislation this legislative session. As a reminder, since this is the first year of a two-year session, bills that did not pass this session will retain their current status and be carried over to the 2026 session. |
| NEWS & FYI |
Thank you for your service on behalf of Clemson University. Every day, we are reminded of how special the Clemson family is. Your commitment to advocacy on Clemson’s behalf is a tremendous contribution to our success.
This will be the final weekly legislative update until the General Assembly reconvenes in January 2026. Please follow ClemsonGovAff on Twitter for regularly updated news and information.
