For those concerned, the proposal to tax graduate tuition waivers is not in the new bill

[karynnj]

It is - of course still a very terrible bill - for those students who would be affected, the House idea to tax the tuition waiver as income - is reported not to be in the conference bill. (As the mother of two fourth year PHD students, who were very concerned, I assume there are DU people the same boat as my daughters.)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-13/tentative-tax-deal-scraps-hit-on-tuition-for-graduate-students

Here's hoping it is true ... and, of course, this gift to the 1% fails.

[exboyfil]

1. It had to be one of the most idiotic

short sighted features of the awful bill. It demonstrates that the "governing" party doesn't have a clue how modern research universities work and how they are essential to our economy and society.

[The Genealogist]

2. I'm certain the idea was to punish libruls in the ivory tower of academia

Right wingers hate educated people and thinkers. Such people don't tend to mindlessly kowtow and blindly accept right wing bullcrap. Right wingers want an ignorant populace that will support every rotten idea that they can come up with.

[karynnj]

3. Nasty, as well as idiotic -- and intentional

It would raise relatively little money, while meaning that even PHD students who get a stipend enough to live on if they are pretty frugal, won't be able to live on their stipend. Not to mention many already have loans from their BAs and or masters.

That these people are chosen as people who should have money taken away from them to allow heirs and heiresses to not have inheritances of several millions taxed. Not to mention, this will be a group of very verbal, articulate people countering the idea that this is a great tax cut for the poor and middle class. Not to mention, many might be children of upper middle class Republicans - who might rethink that designation.