By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – For all those students who staged protests on the Illinois State University quad and on college campuses over a proposed tax to student tuition waivers, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis said – rest assured – those waivers will remain intact in the federal tax bill.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Davis on WJBC.
“I would urge them to go back out on the quad at ISU today and let everybody know that the tuition waivers process remains exactly the same as it is today,” Davis said. “It’s not taxable, nothing is going to happen. It’s still going to be and it should be a viable part of making college affordable.”
Davis, R-Taylorville, told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin it didn’t make sense that Congress had even considered taxing those waivers.
“It’s the grad assistants who are lowering the price of college for themselves, lowering what they have to borrow and that is a good thing,” Davis said. “That’s not a bad thing and we should encourage that.”
Under proposed changes to the tax bill, students would be be able to deduct loan interest payments, while colleges would still be able to pay construction bonds at no interest.
A final vote on the measure is expected this week.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
