January 29, 2010 Attn: U.S. Congress Joint Committee on Taxation
Dear Committee;
The tax credit will help me pay for my next term. As I'm sure you are aware, the cost of college tuition is skyrocketing. Many of us are older Americans (45+)whom have taken up the charge to re-educate ourselves in a competitive job market. Some of us married and had a family in our early twenties, and now it's time we went back and got the college education we had yearned for. We are viable, energetic and enthusiastic about the rest of our lives. Some of us are single, no longer with spouses and so we have to fend for ourselves. A college education coupled with years of experience is a recipe for a higher salaries and standard of living. Our goal is to stay competitive, and to save and invest for a better retirement. I think we all fear we'll not have enough to retire on between social security and what money we can afford to sock away in a retirement account. We all fear becoming a bag lady. One is never too old to learn or get an education. One is never too old to work towards the betterment of one's life. Please extend the tax credit, and help us to help ourselves.
And lastly, please raise the amount students can borrow from Stafford Loans. The constant rise in college tuition will quickly use up the Total amount a student can borrow. Private loans are hard if not impossible to qualify for, and the interest rate of private loans is astronomical.
