Online Schools: South Carolina

South Carolina is one of the thirteen original colonies of the United States. Historically it has been an influential political and social stronghold throughout the southern region. The state fought against federal tariffs in the 1830s, seceded from the Union in 1860, and later joined the Confederate States of America, fighting in key battles such as Fort Sumter in order to continue the institution of slavery. Throughout the Reconstruction period, South Carolina remained economically crippled due to the war, which rendered the state one of the poorest in the country for the next century. Today, job growth in South Carolina is driving fields like manufacturing, healthcare, education, leisure, hospitality, and retail trade. Among jobs requiring higher education, careers for registered nurses, dental hygienists, teachers, and pharmacists are demonstrating strong growth according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce Labor Market Information.

South Carolina is home to 71 degree-granting institutions, slightly lower than the national average of 88 schools. Of the 71 schools, 33 are public and 38 are private. Public universities in the state have experienced budget cuts recently; the University of South Carolina (USC) saw a 21 percent cut in state funding in 2010, while cuts totaled $16.5 million at Clemson State University and $5 million at the College of Charleston. In light of these significant cuts, online schools in South Carolina are on the rise.

Education officials are well aware of the increasing need to expand North Carolina's online schools. In 2009 Clemson University (along with North Carolina's Fayetteville State University and Ohio State University) was awarded a $499,981 grant from the National Science Foundation in order to study online distance education in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. This project seeks to support student learning and engagement in online STEM courses, with a particular emphasis on how online distance education affects historically black universities.

In May 2006, the state Department of Education launched the South Carolina Virtual School Program (SCVSP) pilot to explore the feasibility of virtual schooling for the state. The SCVSP became official in December of 2007 and now offers core, Honors, Advanced Placement, and credit recovery courses for students in grades 7-12. In addition, the school provides PSAT Preparation, SAT Preparation, ACT Preparation, HSAP Review, and AP Exam reviews online. Though these courses are not for credit, all have experienced high enrollment among high school students. Unlike many online schools nationwide, SCVSP offers courses on year-round schedule. In 2009-2010, SCVSP enrolled 5,739 seniors, 6,055 juniors, 3,055 sophomores, 1,640 freshmen and 436 middle school students. Throughout the 2009-2010 summer, SCVSP provided instruction to a total of 7,080 students. With the recent advancement of its secondary online schools, North Carolina is in a unique position to begin implementing accessible programs at the undergraduate level as well.

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