Tax Savings for Higher Education
Students Often Miss Out

By Charles Pekow

Congress has gone into overtime debating whether and how to cut, increase or otherwise change federal student aid sources. But whatever it does with loans and grants, it has created a labyrinth with another vastly underutilized source of student aid: federal tax provisions. The good news is, Senate leaders have pledged to look into improving the situation.

Most eligible students aren’t taking maximum advantage of tax code provisions designed to help pay the cost of postsecondary education. That’s because they’re not choosing the best options. The fault lies not in our stars but in ourselves – everyone from Congress weaving a tangled web of tax provisions that confuse students and families, to taxpayers flustered by the process and unfamiliar with the benefits, to tax accountants not making the right decisions and student aid
officials not providing adequate guidance.

Getting loans and grants requires plenty of paperwork, but tax preferences require more responsibility on the part of students because they must identify applicable preferences, understand complex rules concerning their use, and correctly calculate and claim credits or deductions, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a new report entitled Student Aid and Postsecondary Tax Preferences. The GAO examined tax returns from the 2002 Statistics of Income data set and found that about half of filers (about 223,000) weren’t selecting the best option when faced with a choice of competing tax provisions. For example, 27 percent of eligible filiers didn’t claim a single tuition deduction or credit. They paid an average of $169 more in taxes than was necessary (with 10 percent paying more than $500 more than needed.)

The GAO estimates that 21 percent (51,000) of those who took the tuition deduction would have saved an average of $83 more if they had taken the Lifetime Learning Credit instead of the deduction. Another 8,000 taxpayers would have saved an average of $138 if they took the deduction instead of the credit. Even when professional tax preparers completed the returns, they often didn’t make the best choices.

The tax code includes 12 different tuition tax preferences involving savings accounts, credits and deductions. And they all come with different eligibility criteria, benefits and phase-out levels. Taking one often means you can’t take another or only can take it at a reduced rate. Options include up to $1,500 for the Hope Tax Credit and up to $2,000 for the Lifetime Learning Credit. Families can also deduct up to $4,000 for higher education tuition and fees. Taxpayers can take a deduction of $2,500 for interest on student loans and get tax advantages for Section 529 qualified tuition programs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. A Tuition Deduction that expires at the end of this year offers deductions of up to $4,000, similar to the Lifetime Learning Credit.

Eligibility for some tax benefits can vary each year if a taxpayer’s income bracket changes, which makes them more difficult to plan for as compared with loans and grants, where students get the aid at the beginning of the year. Benefits of the Student Loan Interest Deduction may not accrue until after graduation. Those in income phase-out zones must calculate (and recalculate annually if their income changes) whether they prefer a deduction or credit.

The Lifetime Learning Credit, for instance, reduces its benefit for individuals with adjusted gross incomes between $40,000 and $50,000, double the range for married couples. And while the Department of Education determines eligibility for direct aid, taxpayers themselves have to figure out if they’re eligible for tax preferences. Schools aren't required to help. Choices include more than 100 different 529 plans, all with different contribution limits, investment strategies, fees, and penalties. Those getting direct federal aid such as Pell Grants and loans get reduced credits, further complicating the choices.

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