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Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5441
Fax: 202-225-3289
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Learn more about the 19th District and see how Sue Kelly is making a difference in the Hudson Valley.
 
 
 
  Voting Record Information
 
 
Kelly Introduces More Money for College Act to Help Families Afford Rising Tuition Costs
 
 
Congresswoman’s Bill Would Enable Students or Parents to Deduct All College Tuition Expenses on Federal Income Taxes
 
 
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Sue Kelly has introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would enable college students or parents to deduct all tuition expenses on their federal income taxes and help them better afford the ever-increasing cost of post-secondary education.
 
During separate visits to talk with students and administrators at SUNY-Orange, SUNY-Rockland, and Marist College, Kelly unveiled her bill -- the More Money for College Act -- that would make the entire out-of-pocket cost of college tuition tax deductible for families or individuals.
 
“At a time when tuition costs are rising faster than salaries and inflation, this new federal income tax deduction would provide Hudson Valley families with the ultimate financial aid for college,” Kelly said. “It’s time to make your college tuition dollars tax-free.”
 
Kelly noted that the average college tuition rises at a rate of 8 percent per year (about twice the rate of inflation). Tuition increases double the cost of a college education every 9 years.
 
“A tuition tax deduction is the most effective and absolute way to provide college tuition relief directly to families and individuals. What you pay is what you deduct,” Kelly said.
 
“Whether you’re working parents putting two or three kids through college at once, a student paying your own way through undergraduate or graduate school, or an adult taking some community college courses later in life, my message is as simple and straightforward as the name of my bill. The federal government needs to let you keep more of your own money for college rather than making you send it to Washington in taxes.”
 
Kelly said the bill is especially geared to help middle-class families in the Hudson Valley. "There are too many students and families that I talk to in our area that don't quite qualify for financial aid programs but don't have nearly enough income to afford college tuition," Kelly explained. "It is these families in particular that we need to help before this problem continues to grow and eventually the middle class is financially eliminated from putting their kids through college."
 
Kelly added that the More Money for College Act should encourage increased college enrollment, particularly at graduate schools and community colleges, as workers who previously didn’t consider career advancement or job training courses could find it a more affordable option with the new tax deduction. It also would especially help undergraduate students taking additional summer courses that add to their tuition costs and for which financial aid is rarely available.
 
Kelly called this “an ideal time to implement a full college tuition tax deduction.” Tax relief provisions passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2001 made a portion of college tuition costs tax deductible for the first time ever. Up to $4,000 can be deducted each tax year between 2002 and 2005.
 
However, this provision is due to expire at the end of this year, meaning a significant tax increase in 2006 on millions of families nationwide trying to afford college. “The More Money for College Act would give Hudson Valley families more money, not less, to put toward their college education,” Kelly said.
 
 
 

 
News Articles:
 
U.S. Rep. Sue Kelly discusses the More Money for College Act with Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef (left) and SUNY-Rockland President Dr. Tim Wood (right).
Kelly speaks at SUNY-Orange with (L to R) Orange County Executive Ed Diana, SUNY-Orange President Dr. William Richards, and Dan Villarosa - a Warwick parent whose family includes a recent college graduate and college student-to-be.
Kelly answers questions about her new college tuition tax deduction bill after sharing the details of her plan with students and faculty at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.
Edward Summers, a student at Marist, gives Kelly his input on her new legislation to help college students and parents.