|
Advanced Search
|
Subsidizing Higher Education Through Tax and Spending ProgramsPublished: May 16, 2007 || Availability: The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. No. 18 in the Tax Policy Issues and Options series The text below is an excerpt from the complete document. Read the full report in PDF format. AbstractIn 1997 Congress enacted a number of tax benefits directed toward helping middle- and upper-middle income groups meet rising college costs. This shift in goals and strategies raises concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of the evolving federal approach to higher education. This policy brief analyzes who benefits from the major direct spending program, Pell grants, and the three tax subsidies that most closely resemble grants, the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits and the deduction for tuition and fees. In addition, the brief assesses the potential impacts of these direct spending and tax programs on the affordability of college and the college-going rates of potential students. IntroductionDuring the past 10 years, tax benefits have played an increasingly important role in federal higher education policy. Before 1998, most federal support for higher education involved direct expenditure programs— largely grants and loans—primarily intended to provide more equal educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income students. In 1997 (effective largely for expenses in 1998 and beyond), Congress enacted a number of tax benefits—credits, deductions, and tax-free savings plans—directed toward helping middle- and upper-middle-income groups meet rising college costs. This shift in goals and strategies raises concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of the evolving federal approach to higher education. This policy brief analyzes who benefits from the major direct spending program, Pell grants, and the three tax subsidies that most closely resemble grants, the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits and the deduction for tuition and fees (see Burman et al. 2005 for a more complete discussion of these and other programs). In addition, the brief assesses the potential impacts of these direct spending and tax programs on the affordability of college and the college-going rates of potential students. It also discusses options that might improve the effectiveness of these federal policy instruments. (End of excerpt. The complete report is available in PDF format.) |
 |
HOME
|
TAX TOPICS
|
NUMBERS
|
TAX FACTS
|
LIBRARY
|
EVENTS
|
LEGISLATION
|
PRESS
|
TAXVOX Blog
|
About Us
 |
 |
by topic
