The South Carolina College Tuition Prepayment Program is the latest victim of the nation’s struggling economy. State officials say the program, that allows parents to pay future college tuition using today’s rates, is anywhere from $30 million to $60 million dollars in debt. Ideally, the state invests the money parents pay into the program and when the student is ready to attend college there would be enough to pay for tuition.

The State Treasurer’s Office announced some good news today. For the last fiscal year, July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, the State returned over $12 million in unclaimed property to its rightful owners.

I can’t imagine anything better during these difficult economic times than getting an unexpected check.

Maybe enough to pay bills, splurge a bit, or just put it away for a rainy day.

In a “7 On Your Side” special report last week, I told you about a state program that’s trying to return over $250 million to its rightful owners.