Rand Paul: College tuition should be a tax writeoff

The Washington Post's Post Politics ^ | April 11, 2015 | Katie Zezima

[2ndDivisionVet]

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Sen. Rand Paul called Friday for college tuition to be a tax writeoff in his first direct pitch to young voters of his presidential campaign.

Paul used the power of the pocketbook, along with calls for electronic privacy and reforming the criminal justice system, to appeal to what he called the "Instagram generation," a constituency he sees as vital to his nascent presidential campaign. Paul blasted President Obama's plan for free community college, telling the crowd of a few hundred people, mostly students, that it won't work because someone has to pay for professors and facilities.

"Let's let college students deduct the entire cost of their educations over their working careers. Let's make college tuition entirely deductible," Paul said. Paul did not elaborate on how this would happen and his campaign did not return a request for comment....

[Insigne123]

It should remain a choice, not a deduction

[Conscience of a Conservative]

Like buying a house?

[BobL]

How many college kids pay taxes?

[Rodamala]

I wrote off my tuition... it was required training that my employer forced me to take to maintain my employment. Boss was a real prick. Self-Employment is a rough deal.

[manc]

I tend to agree but we are dealing with the Paulbots so anything is possible

[Vermont Lt]

That is the LAST thing we need. I would prefer to see an additional year of high school.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I’d prefer to see 60% of the people who now needlessly go to 4 year colleges head to trade schools, apprenticeships, the military and on-the-job training. Like in Korea, Germany, Japan and so on.

[dfwgator]

The world needs ditchdiggers, too.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Actually, I think ditchdiggers have been replaced here.

[entropy12]

College tuition ALREADY has tax advantages. I have saved thousands of dollars due to the 1099-T statement I have received for payment of my college kid’s tuition at Univ of Washington.

[Jane Long]

Pander Paul

[entropy12]

Actually we have a shortage of engineering graduates. China and India graduate more engineers than US. We will soon have a big shortage of medical doctors, because many older doctors do not want to deal with paper work required for Obamacare, Medicare & Medicaid.

So the problem is really not too many college graduates, rather it is too many graduating with liberal arts degrees.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I haven’t had an American-born physician since 1983 when I entered the V.A. system. Nurses, technicians and P.A.s? Sure. Doctors? Not a one. Not even specialists. Other than one podiatrist, now that I think of it.

[MaxMax]

I don't think Rand Paul has hit his peak yet. There's more insanity to come.

Here-ya-go-Rand,

[trebb]

I didn’t think libertarians were quite as into the “free stuff” mode as the hard core Left. He didn’t even call for a tax break on the money spent - he wants it to be a 100% write-off. Great shades of Kalifornia when they made college free to lure folks out there...