S.C. Lottery

Officials estimate year's proceeds beat goal by $13M

The South Carolina Education Lottery had a financially successful year despite a slumping economy, soaring gas prices and competition from North Carolina's games.

South Carolina lottery officials, at a news conference in Columbia Tuesday, estimated that the games brought in about $266 million for education programs from fiscal year 2007-08, which came to a close Monday. That's $13 million more than a goal set by the state Board of Economic Advisors, they said.

"We have great players and games people enjoy," Julie Huffman, the lottery's beneficiary communications coordinator, said.

Since 2002, gross lottery sales have exceeded $6.1 billion, of which 60 percent has been paid to lottery winners in the form of prizes, lottery officials said.

They also said that $2 billion in proceeds has been appropriated for education programs since the lottery was launched in January 2002.

Ellis Grossman, 22, who is a culinary student at Trident Technical College, said lottery money is helping him get through school. A tuition assistance program paid for with lottery proceeds has covered more than half of his tuition so far, he said.

Because he's getting financial assistant from the lottery, he said, he only needs to come up with about $3,000 for his culinary degree.

That's important because graduates entering that field don't make a lot of money at first, he said.

But even if he has to take out $3,000 in student loans, he said, he will be able to cover his loan payments with a job where starting pay is only $14 per hour.

Lottery assistance, he said, "means a lot."

Ellen Green, director of financial aid at Trident, said the lottery tuition assistance program is extremely helpful because it's not based on income, but instead is open to anyone. "Students from all walks of life qualify," she said.

A lot of working students can't afford tuition, she said, but make too much money to qualify for aid that's based on financial need.

For many students, she said, lottery assistance "is making the difference between going to school or not going, or between going part-time and going full-time."

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@post andcourier.com.