Will President Trump’s federal spending freeze impact Horry County? Here’s what we know
President Donald J. Trump announced on Tuesday that he’ll be implementing a spending freeze on federal assistance, a White House memo said.
How and when this new order will affect programs and projects in Horry County, SC remains unclear.
According to compiled data, private businesses and nonprofits in the Grand Strand have received millions of dollars in federal assistance.
Some examples include Coastal Carolina University, Burroughs & Chapin and Little River Medical Center. A full list of companies and organizations that received federal aid can be found here.
A message was sent to the county spokesperson, Mikayla Moskov, on Tuesday asking about the impacts of the new order.
“Much like our community, Horry County Government is staying apprised of the executive orders from President Trump and awaiting any information or developments that may be relevant to County programs that have federal components,” she wrote.
The day before Trump announced the spending freeze, Congressman Russell Fry said in a press release he secured $28 million from the U.S. Army Corps. Those funds will go towards construction costs for ocean outfalls and stormwater mitigation in the City of North Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas.
According to Fry’s spokesperson, Katherine Thordahl, the money will not be impacted under Trump’s order.
Public schools throughout the Myrtle Beach region could also be affected by the spending freeze.
“There are a lot of unknowns at this point, and we are working to gather additional information regarding the potential impact this could have on Horry County Schools,” according to Lisa H. Bourcier, director of strategic communications and community engagement with Horry County Schools.
Bourcier was asked if the pause on federal grants would affect the schools’ free breakfast and lunch program that is currently offered to all students in Horry County Schools. The district was able to provide the free meals to all schools and students this school year based on the Community Eligibility Provision program, a non-pricing meal service option for qualifying schools and school districts.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, SC has not yet received specific information regarding federal funding and grants, according to public information director Nicole Hyman by email.
“At this time, we do not have complete clarity and are awaiting further guidance,” she said.
The Sun News also sent a message to CCU about the freeze.
On Tuesday night, CCU spokesperson Jerry Rashid emailed a statement to The Sun News.
“Coastal Carolina University is navigating the implications of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum and reviewing the impacts on our operations and policies,” he wrote. “The OMB has indicated that this pause does not apply to Pell Grants or student loans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has also confirmed that GI Bill payments are not affected.”
The Department of Education also said the pause would not affect federal Pell grants or loans.
Sun News Editor Terri Richardson contributed reporting to this story.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Jan. 29 at 9:04 a.m. to include CCU’s comment.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 4:52 PM.
