FLORES: Tax Relief Details for Graduate Students

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. U.S. Representative Bill Flores (R-Texas) issued the following statement regarding his work to preserve tax relief for graduate students receiving waived and discounted tuition:

Three large research institutions have significant footprints and thousands of graduate students in the 17th Congressional District Texas A&M University Baylor University and The University of Texas at Austin. Throughout the legislative process of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act my team and I have been working diligently on behalf graduate students all across the U.S. to preserve provisions that protect beneficial tax treatment for waived and discounted tuition incentives. I was very pleased to see that this hard work has paid off as the House-Senate conference report for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes the tuition provisions that we requested for graduate education programs. This is particularly important to enable our research institutions to compete globally for the best and brightest students as they educate and pursue important research initiatives for the 21st century. Robust graduate education programs are economic engines for America and it is crucial that policymakers recognize and promote these important components of our higher education infrastructure. I look forward to voting in favor of this bold pro-growth bill which will lead to more jobs bigger paychecks and fairer taxes for hardworking American families. I want to express sincere thanks to my Congressional colleagues for working with my office on this important initiative for American higher education and economic opportunity.

Background. Over the last several weeks Congressman Flores has worked closely with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) House Ways and Means Committee Members and other members of House Leadership to continue the income exclusion for graduate tuition waivers in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  In addition Congressman Flores worked with House-Senate Conference Committee Members to address this important issue in the final version of tax reform bill. One of the components of his graduate education tax treatment campaign was a letter he sent to the committee which can be found HERE. The legislative text of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act conference report can be found HERE.