A South Carolina Commission on Higher Education funding estimate has fallen short by roughly $25 million, setting up payment delays to colleges and complicating state budget negotiations. According to reporting, the Commission’s president and executive director, L. Jeffrey Perez, said the shortfall was identified last week for the current fiscal year. The Commission initially projected needing $302 million with $2.7 million in carryover; it now expects it will require about $330 million, with scholarship eligibility expanding by about 4,000 recipients. While colleges have already credited scholarships against tuition owed, the gap will delay payments to institutions and adds uncertainty for lawmakers and campuses working through the fiscal calendar. The episode underscores how even “relatively small” state-level estimation errors can quickly become operational constraints for higher education finance.