Denmark Tech students push need-based aid at State House event

Denmark Technical College students took their message to the South Carolina State House: need-based financial aid can decide whether rural Bamberg County students enroll, stay enrolled, or put college off entirely.

The students joined more than 200 peers from over 30 colleges and universities on April 16 for the fifth annual Higher Education Day, an event attended by Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and framed around college access, student success and the role financial aid plays in keeping students on track. A concurrent resolution in the South Carolina General Assembly recognized the day and noted that 74 institutions of higher learning across the state serve more than 252,000 students, 74% of them South Carolina residents.

For Denmark Tech, the stakes are especially high. The school, located in Denmark in rural Bamberg County, is South Carolina’s only historically Black technical college. The college says more than 96% of its students receive some type of financial assistance, a figure that helps explain why need-based aid is central to its students’ pitch in Columbia.

That support matters in a county where families often weigh tuition against transportation, rent and the cost of commuting. At Denmark Tech, aid can mean the difference between starting a program now and delaying it until a paycheck or savings account catches up. For a school that draws heavily on students who already need help paying for college, changes in aid policy can ripple quickly through enrollment, persistence and workforce training in the county.

The event also came against the backdrop of a broader funding fight for the college. In 2025, the South Carolina House initially included $2.3 million for Denmark Tech’s proposed cybersecurity, energy and healthcare building, but the final budget gave the project no money. The proposed building was valued at $35 million.

Rep. Justin Bamberg has said the state should not expect students to enroll in a technical college that still relies on outdated technology, a point that tracks closely with the college’s push for both facility investment and stronger student aid. For Denmark Tech, the message from the State House was less about ceremony than access: if the state wants more Bamberg County students to train for high-demand jobs, it will have to help them pay for the path there.