The Hill, February 26, 2016: How an obscure college aid fix could help millions of low-income students
“The tax filing season is upon us, which means college students and their parents will be getting big refunds. Since 2009 they’ve been able to qualify for up to a $2,500 tax credit for tuition expenses under President Obama’s American Opportunity Tax Credit. And lawmakers recently made that benefit a permanent part of the tax code. Combined, tuition tax credits will provide over $20 billion to students and families in 2016, but there is a big flaw in this popular and growing form of financial aid. Our research shows that nearly 40 percent of undergraduatescannot benefit, most of whom are from low-income families.”