I come from a family where my dad makes $150,000 gross and I have 5 brothers and sisters, with 3 who attend college or have attended college. NYS doesn't take that into consideration, so I get NO assistance. I pay $1000 a semester, plus books and supplies to attend, and the rest is all loans. The tax credit helps ME SO MUCH; I love it.
My boy friend's parents are both disabled and he gets paid $4,000 to attend school and goes for free. They use the system, so it so not fair that I am punished for having successful parents. Please help us out.
ANSWER:
Well, I understand that you want the college tax credit made permanent, and that some aspects of financial aid may seem unfair (depending on your individual situation) but I seriously doubt whether your boyfriend's parents think that a $4,000 financial aid stipend is worth being disabled.
One of the best things about the tax credit is that it doesn't feed the sort of reward/punishment feelings that other types of financial aid do. Although I suppose that those who are over the income limit, will always see it as unfair to them. Another thing to bear in mind is that although New York is an expensive state in which to live, your family can afford many things that others living in that state cannot. You cannot envy other students their college tax credits, without admitting that these same students have financial limitations in other areas, that you would be unwilling to bear- just to get a college tax credit.
