WALTERBORO - Every school day, Bill Thompson wakes up his children and drives a school bus to Walterboro. He spends the downtime before the return trip trying to earn a college degree at the University of South Carolina's Salkehatchie campus.

"I wouldn't be able to do this if not for the school here," Thompson said. The 38-year-old single parent from Edisto Beach says his income depends on driving a bus and delivering pizzas. "I want to do something better with my life than what I've been doing."

Gov. Mark Sanford's budget says the college is a symptom of a bloated higher-education system in South Carolina.

In his second executive budget, Sanford said funding should be cut for the two-year campus.

His proposal to do the same thing last year went nowhere in the General Assembly. Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee didn't cut funding in the budget it drafted.

For Sanford, the fight is far from over.

"Do you mean are we going to say uncle?" Sanford spokesman Will Folks asked. "Not likely."

In a state with 4 million people, there's no need for 33 state-supported colleges and universities with about 80 campus locations, Folks said. "It's a system full of waste, duplication and inefficiency."

Thompson sees the college as a way to build a future to support his family. He wants to become a teacher.

"I'm not making much driving a school bus," Thompson said. "I'm struggling financially, but I'm determined to get my degree."

Thompson is one of about 800 students attending the Walterboro campus and the main campus in Allendale County. Sanford says those students can go to other colleges in Beaufort, Orangeburg and Charleston counties.

But that's not easy for people trying to tend jobs while working toward goals.

The threat of closure has dimmed the outlook some have for the school as it tries to increase enrollment. School officials worry potential students will become wary of committing to a school the governor wants to close.