Winthrop University said the school needs more information about Gov. Mark Sanford's proposal to allow state colleges to become private before giving it serious consideration.

"Until there's some flesh on the frameworks he's laid out ... we can't say at this point that we're going to do in-depth exploration," said Rebecca Masters, spokeswoman for the university.

On Dec. 5, Sanford announced a plan that would allow public colleges to convert to private institutions. The selling points, he said, are that it would allow colleges to break free of regulation by the state and save the state money by ending public funding.

Sanford spokesman Will Folks said the governor wants to make the higher education system more efficient. The state has too many schools and too few dollars to support them and the governor wants to look at ways to reduce duplication of programs at different schools, he said. Colleges uncomfortable with this move could choose to become private.

The proposal would give buildings and land to the colleges but would require them to charge a reduced tuition rate for state residents. But ending state funding would cost already-strapped colleges millions of dollars. For example, more than a quarter of Winthrop's budget comes from the state.

Schools across the state are waiting for more details on how the proposal would work.

Sanford's proposal would require approval from the General Assembly.

Masters said Winthrop officials would need to know what the change would mean for students and staff members before seriously considering the option. The school is developing a list of questions that need to be asked before it can begin weighing the pros and cons.

One of the biggest controversies regarding public regulation of S.C. schools came at The Citadel, which in 1996 lost its long-running battle with the federal government to keep women from enrolling at the public, all-male school.

Like other schools across the state, The Citadel released a statement saying it needs more details about Sanford's plan.

"The governor's proposal, which provides for selected state institutions to opt for private institution status, is very significant. The details of this alternative will become clearer as discussions regarding this proposal take place at the state level. We await additional clarification of the proposal in order to evaluate its feasibility for The Citadel," the statement said.

One education expert said as states across the country face budget crises, governments and colleges scramble to find new ways to deal with funding shortages.

"The solution is radical but the problem is nationwide," David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, said of Sanford's plan. "It's just an extreme way to deal with what is a cost crunch."

Like many other state colleges and universities, Winthrop has raised tuition in recent years to cope with state budget cuts.

Winthrop raised tuition by 19 percent this fall and by 15 percent last year. In-state undergraduates pay $3,326 per semester, out-of-state students pay $6,129.

Since 2001, Masters said, the school has lost $6.5 million in state funding. The state provides $20 million of the university's $75 million budget.

Ward said for larger schools with wealthy endowments and national reputations, privatization could be a good option. Smaller schools, however, would have to find ways to offset lost state funding.

Additionally, Ward said, public colleges whose missions are to educate state residents at reasonable costs could be compromised. Public schools, funded by taxpayers, are accountable to residents and going private would change that.

"What would be lost is this public connection," Ward said.