POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN

The AAUP and a large coalition of other higher education groups have issued an open letter calling on legislators to protect the graduate student tuition waiver and the students it benefits.  The AAUP previously called on its members and those who support higher education to “Vote No on the Tax Bill” by signing a petition to fifteen key Republican representatives opposing the provision. The following is the full text of the open letter:

To​ ​the​ ​elected​ ​Representatives​ ​of​ ​Congress,

We​ ​are​ ​writing​ ​today​ ​to​ ​express​ ​our​ ​concerns​ ​about​ ​provisions​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Tax​ ​Cut​ ​and​ ​Jobs​ ​Act that​ ​threaten​ ​the​ ​future​ ​of​ ​scientific​ ​research​ ​in​ ​our​ ​country.​ ​We​ ​stand​ ​together​ ​as​ ​a​ ​diverse, interdisciplinary​ ​coalition​ ​to​ ​ask​ ​you​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​the​ ​graduate​ ​student​ ​tuition​ ​waiver​ ​and​ ​the students​ ​it​ ​benefits.

Last​ ​week,​ ​the​ ​House​ ​of​ ​Representatives​ ​passed​ ​the​ ​Tax​ ​Cuts​ ​and​ ​Jobs​ ​Act​ ​(H.R.​ ​1), repealing​ ​a​ ​key​ ​provision​ ​that,​ ​if​ ​signed​ ​into​ ​law,​ ​will​ ​have​ ​consequences​ ​for​ ​graduate students​ ​across​ ​the​ ​nation.​ ​​ ​In​ ​reclassifying​ ​graduate​ ​school​ ​tuition​ ​waivers​ ​as​ ​taxable income,​ ​Congress​ ​has​ ​placed​ ​graduate​ ​students​ ​in​ ​financial​ ​jeopardy,​ ​threatening​ ​long-term negative​ ​effects​ ​on​ ​our​ ​country’s​ ​scientific​ ​enterprise.​ ​According​ ​to​ ​the​ ​​US​ ​Department​ ​of Education​’s​ ​most​ ​recent​ ​data,​ ​145,000​ ​graduate​ ​students​ ​receive​ ​this​ ​tax​ ​waiver​ ​annually, 70​ ​percent​​ ​of​ ​whom​ ​are​ ​enrolled​ ​in​ ​programs​ ​in​ ​the​ ​natural,​ ​applied,​ ​and​ ​social​ ​sciences; technology;​ ​engineering;​ ​or​ ​mathematics.​ ​The​ ​repeal​ ​of​ ​section​ ​117(d)(5)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​existing​ ​tax code​ ​will​ ​have​ ​far-reaching​ ​consequences​ ​on​ ​scientific​ ​research.

Graduate​ ​students​ ​are​ ​not​ ​only​ ​future​ ​innovators:​ ​their​ ​work​ ​is​ ​vital​ ​in​ ​driving​ ​current scientific​ ​knowledge​ ​at​ ​research​ ​universities​ ​and​ ​institutions​ ​around​ ​the​ ​country.​ ​Their experiments,​ ​research​ ​papers,​ ​and​ ​lab​ ​and​ ​field​ ​activities​ ​help​ ​move​ ​scientific​ ​knowledge forward,​ ​boost​ ​the​ ​economy,​ ​and​ ​provide​ ​the​ ​scientific​ ​backbone​ ​behind​ ​research​ ​that protects​ ​our​ ​health,​ ​environment,​ ​and​ ​communities.​ ​Graduate​ ​students​ ​are​ ​also​ ​an​ ​essential teaching​ ​corps​ ​of​ ​the​ ​American​ ​college​ ​system.

Nearly​ ​​55​ ​percent​ ​​of​ ​all​ ​master’s​ ​and​ ​Ph.D.​ ​students​ ​have​ ​adjusted​ ​gross​ ​incomes​ ​of $20,000​ ​or​ ​less;​ ​87​ ​percent​ ​have​ ​incomes​ ​of​ ​$50,000​ ​or​ ​less.​ ​​ ​The​ ​tuition​ ​waiver​ ​granted​ ​by section​ ​117(d)(5)​ ​is​ ​not​ ​money​ ​that​ ​goes​ ​into​ ​students’​ ​pockets.​ ​​ ​By​ ​reclassifying​ ​these waivers​ ​as​ ​taxable​ ​income,​ ​the​ ​proposed​ ​tax​ ​plan​ ​will​ ​have​ ​students​ ​who​ ​make​ ​$20,000​ ​or $30,000​ ​a​ ​year​ ​paying​ ​taxes​ ​as​ ​if​ ​they​ ​earn​ ​tens​ ​of​ ​thousands​ ​more​ ​-​ ​in​ ​some​ ​cases, causing​ ​their​ ​tax​ ​bill​ ​to​ ​​increase​ ​by​ ​up​ ​to​ ​400%​​ ​and​ ​forcing​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hardest​ ​workers​ ​in science​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​their​ ​training.​ ​​ ​Tuition​ ​waivers​ ​and​ ​stipends​ ​provide​ ​support​ ​for​ ​working class​ ​and​ ​low​ ​income​ ​students​ ​who​ ​might​ ​otherwise​ ​be​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​pursue​ ​advanced degrees.​​​ ​This​ ​bill​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​particularly​ ​significant​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​individuals​ ​from marginalized​ ​communities,​ ​already​ ​underrepresented​ ​in​ ​the​ ​scientific​ ​field.​ ​​ ​It​ ​risks​ ​sending us​ ​back​ ​to​ ​an​ ​academic​ ​era​ ​in​ ​which​ ​only​ ​the​ ​independently​ ​wealthy​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​pursue advanced​ ​degrees.

Developing​ ​and​ ​implementing​ ​evidence-based​ ​policy​ ​and​ ​securing​ ​our​ ​country’s​ ​safety, health,​ ​and​ ​future​ ​requires​ ​research.​ ​Graduate​ ​students​ ​play​ ​a​ ​pivotal​ ​role​ ​in​ ​making​ ​that research​ ​a​ ​reality.​ ​​ ​We​ ​stand​ ​with​ ​graduate​ ​students​ ​in​ ​all​ ​disciplines​ ​across​ ​the​ ​country​ ​in calling​ ​for​ ​our​ ​representatives​ ​to​ ​support​ ​the​ ​graduate​ ​student​ ​tuition​ ​waiver.

Sincerely,