S.C. State University employees face furloughs

South Carolina State University employees must take seven days off without pay because the school is facing a $6 million dollar shortfall. Employees’ normal breaks have been extended to include unpaid days off. Those include three days around Thanksgiving, two days during the Christmas break, and two days during Spring break. Employees learned of the furlough in a memo from University President George Cooper. The employees’ January through April paychecks will be reduced. Cooper blamed the budget shortfall on fewer students than expected enrolling during the fall semester, the University giving out more financial aid than budgeted, and state budget cuts.