Higher Ed Watch: The financial position of Clemson University is worsened

A year ago, Clemson University approved his first $ 2 billion Budget-a massive expenditure plan, which is heated by state grants and an increase in tuition fees outside the state. At the same time, the school approved an additional $ 200 million In a new borrowing – part of a massive escalation of its debts.

While Clemson's exact current debt is not easily available, the recent annual comprehensive financial report (.PDF) stated 1.08 billion US dollars – a breathtaking 187.4% Increase in the past ten years. The same report showed that debts per student had increased by increasing 118.4% – out of $ 17,998 To $ 39.305 – in the same period.

That's more than twice The debts per student who are borne by the University of South Carolina.

In the past three years alone, Clemson's overall debt has exploded by 69.4% While his debts per student are overlapping 54.2%.

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Does that still sound sustainable from a distance? Of course not … But only in the last month Clemson approved another one 56.3 million US dollars in new debts for another facility for student apartments with 360 beds. The school is also looking for an additional one $ 133 million In state funds for the new building.

In February of this year, Clemson's top finance officer – Executive Vice President Tony Wagner – announced that he was leaving the school to take on a similar position at the University of Utah. Wagner's departure was seen as a big blow for the presidential administration Jim Clements.

Wagner was paid 550,000 US dollars annually – almost 75,000 US dollars Higher than the salary of the finance officer, whom he will replace in Utah. Does that sound like a side train? Or someone who flees from a sinking ship?

In a press release in which Wagner's departure was announced, the school found that “Clements and his management team will check the needs of the university and share transition plans in the coming weeks.”

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RELATED | Stop subsidizing higher ED debts

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The next day, Wagner's successor – Rick Petillo – told the trustees that Clemson's revenue ran somewhere between between running 3% To 3.5% Behind his expenses and the university's expenses must be limited to “mission critical” elements.

Wait… Shouldn't “business -critical” be the standard for all taxpayers?

According to Petillo, a budget correction at Clemson was required 73.5 million US dollars At the end of June 2025.

In response to this, Clemson imposed a 30-day freezing freezing and freezing the non-compensation costs. The school accused these freezing points on “developing federal priorities” – ie guidelines of the administration of the US President Donald Trump.

Speaking of guidelines: Clemson is one of several dozen universities across America that are currently being examined by the US Ministry of Education (DOE) to “participate in their graduate programs in their graduation programs on racial exposure”, according to the agency on March 14, 2025.

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The examination was announced after the civil rights department of Doe Clemson had previously instructed and “ending the use of racial preferences and stereotypes in educational programs and activities”.

“Educational institutions have toxic indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States are based on” systemic and structural racism “and advanced discriminatory guidelines and practices,” said Doe in his letter (.PDF) to these institutions. “Proponents of thesis discriminatory practices have attempted to Further Justify Thema-Particularly During the Last Four Years-Tower of 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion' ('Dei'), Smuggling Racial Stereotypes and Explicit Race Consciousness Into EVERYDAY Training, programming, and discipline.

Clemson could lose significant federal financing if it has been found that it is the title VI of the Civil Rights Act from 1964.

Where does Clemson's budget deficiency currently stand? Last week, Petillo told the trustees that the school still had “headwind”.

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“In view of what we see in relation to headwind, the focus of sales growth on the moderation of expenditure growth will be a continued focus until '25 and '26,” said Petillo.

This Sunday (May 4, 2025), Clemson announced that it would expand the implementation of his previously announced “Revenue Budgeting” model-and called the need to “carry out further development in key areas, in particular cost management and basic planning” and “Feedback from College and Division Leadership”.

The new model, which is intended to organize “the budget authority with an accountability and responsibility”, was originally supposed to be implemented in July 2026. Clemson's publication was not specified when it was planned for the start of the new household model.

Clemson's trustees will gather in July to design the school's next budget – which will be strongly dependent on the approval of the latest borrowing and on the funds provided by SC General Assembly.

It is not surprising that the rising institutional debts will be passed on to students and their parents. According to the latest numbers from the Educational data initiativeSouth Carolina 52.2 billion US dollars In the entire federal debt of the Federal Student loans, approximately approximately $ 38,770 per borrower – The seventh highest number of the country.

Do the taxpayers of the state of Palmetto get the economic value that corresponds to this burden?

Count on Fitsnews To continue to pursue Clemson's final result and his supposedly “business -critical” contributions to the economy of South Carolina …

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Our view …

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Fitsnews It has been open for years that “no taxpayer financing at universities should go to institutions – either in the form of direct funds, loan guarantees or student loans”.

Why not? Because university formation is not – and had never been – A core function of the government. In other words, in contrast to police officers, dishes, streets, bridges and a limited, market -oriented social security network … The university formation is not “elaborately critical”.

Colleges and universities should offer themselves on the basis of you on the market on the basis of you offer to provide tuition fees and loans – and the same applies to students who are looking for degrees of these institutions.

“If you can get a bank to offer you the money to take a degree in transexual Sanskrit studies or, like Walfurz, contribute to El Niño … Out“Our founding editor Become people wrote last December. “You just don't expect the American taxpayer to result in the bill.”

Institutions of university formation have become epicenters of taxable indoctrination-and lynchpins of all kinds of crony capitalism.

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About the author …

Become people is the founding editor of the news agency you are reading. Before the founding of Fitsnews, he was the spokesman for South Carolina's governor. He lives with his wife and eight children in the Midland region of the state.

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