Charleston, SC - The Medical University of South Carolina is not immune from the economic crisis. The University’s budget has been slashed by 17 million dollars. It costs more than a billion dollars a year to run MUSC, and to make up the difference, some programs and jobs may have to go.

A year of low tax revenues is spelling trouble for MUSC.

“The magnitude of our challenge is so significant that simply being more efficient and saving is unlikely to solve the entire problem,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. John Raymond said.

In a letter dated November 3, 2008, MUSC’s President Raymond Greenberg writes “Since almost two-thirds of current expenses are related to salaries and fringe benefits, it is unlikely that we can balance the budget without affecting personnel.”

That could mean trouble for some of MUSC’s five thousand employees.

“A possible reduction in workforce where people are laid off. We would hope to avoid that,” Raymond said.

Raymond said, "no plans have been made on where possible cuts could come from."

“Its nerve racking because we know our tuition is going to go up,” MUSC student Stephanie Starr said.

Officials say tuition could rise 10 percent. Some students are most concerned about their programs, but admit the University has been up-front about what they could lose.

“They’re cutting all the extraneous factors first,” Starr said.

“We’re going to lose a lot of money and a lot of funding, so they’ll rethink some of the smaller programs,” MUSC student Christina Squires said.

The next move is up to the University’s President Raymond Greenberg. Greenberg is waiting for each college and program to suggest where they can make cuts.

Greenberg will look at those proposals next week and a decision on what to do will be released in early December.