Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The number of alcohol citations are decreasing on the University of South Carolina campus, and that's because of higher penalties for student offenses.
The stiffer penalties went into effect at the beginning of this school year.
Last year, more than 1,200 drinking citations were handed out from August to February. This year, in the same amount of time, only about 900 have been given out to students.
The penalty for citations has gone up. For the first offense, the ticket increased from $50 dollars to $250. For the second offense, the fine went up from $100 to $300, and for a third time, it changed from a $150 fine to a suspension.