It's not over yet, continued action is needed!
Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act early Saturday morning, December 2, 2017. With a 51-49 vote, this bill has the potential to severely impact the financial solvency of graduate students across the nation. There is still time to fight Sec. 1204 of the bill. Call your representatives, Tweet your senators, let congress know that this bill is bad for the future of this country!
About the Bill
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act proposed by Congress will have a significant impact on institutions of higher education and graduate-professional students. The provision under the bill, Sec. 1204 proposes to repeal the Interest Payment on Qualified Education Loans, Tuition & Related Expenses, Interest on United States Savings Bond, Qualified Tuition Reduction, and Employer-Provided Education Assistance. An amendment was proposed strike Sec. 1204 from the bill, and expand American Opportunity Tax Credit. Unfortunately, the amendment was voted down along party lines. There is still much work to be done! Help the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students in their efforts to support graduate-professional students across the nation who will be impacted by the provisions of this bill.
Take Action Today!
Call your legislators and let them know that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Bill is bad for students! Share the images below on social media, and use the call script, and contact sheet to reach out as soon as possible.
Social Media Resources
Sample Tweets:
Tuition waivers should not be considered taxable income. The majority of stipends would be spent on taxes. #ReworkTheReform #NAGPS4U
The proposed tax reform bill would make it nearly impossible to be a graduate student without holding another job. #ReworkTheReform #NAGPS4U
Repealing Sec. 117(d) of the tax reform bill will make it difficult to be a graduate student without being independently wealthy #ReworkTheReform #NAGPS4U
Graduate students: Improving the economy, national security and leading innovation since 1945. #ReworkTheReform
@__________ did you know graduate students work on projects to cure cancer? Let them stay in the lab, leave their tuition waivers alone #ReworkTheReform
@_________ graduate students spend more than 40 hours a week teaching and researching outside of their dissertation, leave our tuition waivers alone #ReworkTheReform
@_____ graduate students mentor and teach undergraduate students while working on our own classes and research, don’t take our time away from the undergraduates, leave our tuition waivers alone #ReworkTheReform
@______did you know graduate students are working on creating solutions to our emissions problems? Let us continue to preserve our environment, leave our tuition waivers alone #ReworkTheReform
@_______ graduate students come up with innovative ways to help the deaf with computer programs, let us continue to improve peoples’ lives, leave our tuition waivers alone #ReworkTheReform
@________ graduate students research helps improve Americans lives, leave our tuition waivers alone #ReworkTheReform
