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Average Tuition and Fees at Academic Institutions, 1999-2004

Tuition at South Carolina's four-year public institutions increased by 106 percent over the five-year period, 1999-2004, the highest such increase in the nation, according to the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and North Carolina rounded off the top five in the same measure, with each state's institutions having increases of more than 50 percent.

For the 2003-04 academic year, NCES estimates the average cost for tuition and fees was $4,630 at four-year public institutions, $17,902 at four-year private institutions, and $1,670 at two-year public institutions. Between 1999 and 2004, tuition and fees rose by 38 percent at four-year public institutions, by 23 percent at four-year private institutions, and by 25 percent at two-year public institutions, according to the data.

People

The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. promoted Kevin Carr to the position of chief operations officer.

The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University announced that Jon Fjeld is the executive director of its recently unveiled Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland, College Park named Dan Goodman as its first technology commercialization fellow.

People

The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. promoted Kevin Carr to the position of chief operations officer.

People

The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University announced that Jon Fjeld is the executive director of its recently unveiled Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

People

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland, College Park named Dan Goodman as its first technology commercialization fellow.

People

The 82nd Annual Congress of Cities in Charlotte, N.C., elected Jim Hunt, a councilmember of Clarksburg, W.Va., as the new president of the National League of Cities. Hunt follows Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony A. Williams.

People

The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) selected Vicki Loise as its first executive director.

People

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels named Mitch Maurer, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), as the new state secretary of commerce. Maurer replaces Pat Miller, who stepped down to resume her role as president and CEO of her company, Vera Bradley Designs, Inc.

People

BioMed SA, a recently founded technology council to promote the development of San Antonio’s health and bioscience community, selected Ann Stevens to serve as its first executive director.

Important SSTI Weekly Digest Updates

Funding Supplement for Members Only in 2006 As long-time subscribers to the SSTI Weekly Digest know, during the past five years SSTI has published a separate element of the newsletter identifying federal and foundation funding opportunities that support either tech-based economic development directly or scientific inquiry and R&D.

Michigan Gov. Signs Economic Stimulus Bill; Vetoes Tax Break Package

After several months of debate regarding a number of economic development initiatives, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed into law a major economic stimulus bill. However, unhappy with portions of a separate tax break package for businesses, the governor vetoed two of the 10 bills.

Gov. Granholm signed into law a bill creating the 21st Century Jobs Fund, first introduced in her State-of-the-State Speech earlier this year (see the Feb . 21 issue of the Digest). The new initiative appropriates $400 million over fiscal years 2006-07 from tobacco settlement money to provide immediate funds for job creation and to increase Michigan's high-technology economy, according to the governor's press office. Funding for the initiative will be focused in three areas:

President Signs FY06 Department of Energy Appropriations Bill

At the end of November, President Bush signed the fiscal year 2006 Appropriations Bill for the Department of Energy & Water, H.R. 2419. A summary of the Administration's budget request for DOE is available in the Feb. 14 issue of the Digest. Highlights of the bill include:

Department of Energy The Office of Science is funded at $3.63 billion, an increase of $33 million from the FY05 appropriations and $170 million beyond the Administration's request. Within the Office of Science, $290.6 million is slated for fusion sciences research, the same as the Administration's request. Other Office of Science initiatives include: