@ABooksNightmare
I would look into these education tax credits and tax credits more, in general, and maybe you would come to a different conclusion.
Republicans and Democrats both like these and both do so for, largely, incorrect reasons.
Republicans attempt to disguise them as tax cuts of a sort; Democrats attempt to use them thinking they benefit their agendas. Both of which are largely wrong.
The more tax credits you add the more it also complicates the current tax code. Republicans also try to claim it helps to shrink government and it does not do that either. The Democrats like to think these help the poor and it does not do that because it is not a cash refund.
Even back under Clinton when all of these tax credits started really expanding that was major concern.
One of the first things that happened once the college tax credits were implemented way back then was a push to expand it to lower education as well.
Most students are not filing a tax return to even use them, so the parents would be using them.
Then these tax credits would benefit the wealthier parents more because they are filing a tax return. Whereas, some of the poorer families are not making enough to file a return either. So, overall the benefits would go to folks that are already likely to send their children to school and are more apt to be able to afford it already.
Then you still have the potential side-effect that other tax credits have of luring folks into a situation they might not be suited for — just to get the tax credit. So, the intent of the Democrats to help people get into something they might not otherwise get into can backfire and not achieve the intended result.
So, again you have to decide if the country is better suited to enact programs or to enact credits to achieve the intended results.
I am a big proponent of a much simpler tax code and this is the opposite of that. I am also for getting results through a more local level that would benefit the intended individual(s) in a more efficient manner.
Absolutely, the price of higher education has gotten over-priced. But there can be a good argument made that too many people are going and the value of most degrees have become watered down.
There are plenty of ways for folks to pay as they go, go to community college to start, get scholarships and that sort of thing.
There can also be made a point that since so many are going to colleges that they can charge so much. They know they will get it from the students because the students are ‘forced’ into getting loans and starting their adult lives in debt.
If fewer people went to colleges and into more suited careers and fewer loans were available — then the colleges might not charge as much, It is ridiculous that the costs have so outgrown other things at the rate they have.
I understand that the whole thing is dynamic and complicated. I just do not think adding more and more tax credits to everything really helps; and, I certainly, do not think it helps the intended folks as much as it should.
It just seems tax credits lead to more problems, complicates the tax code, increases the demand for even more tax credits, and often do not achieve the desired results.
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