Anyone who can read a newspaper or read the Internet - or, better yet, both - knows that it costs a lot of money to send your child/children to college. But I do have an idea to make it more affordable. 
And there are all sorts of ways to pay for this. Directly out of pocket (something few of us can do). Student loans. Home equity loans/lines, 529 plans, etc. As you may know from previous posts, we're freaking out a little at the prospect of our older daughter, who is now a high school junior, getting ready for college.
(Then again, it could be worse. Andrea has friends - twins - who are getting ready for college, too. Needless to say, the girls' parents are staring down the barrel of spending potentially $400,000 if their girls choose a private institution. Ouch!)
Anyway, I would like to suggest at least a partial solution, something that seems to make complete sense and would be an instant fix for a system that is broken. With April 15 rapidly approaching, how about making college tuition tax deductible?
Real estate taxes are deductible. Home mortgage interest is deductible. Medical expenses are deductible after a certain minimum.
So why not tuition?
I wanted to ask this question at a recent gathering of parents at Boston University, where a perky admissions executive was telling us how wonderful her school was, never once mentioning the cost. And with close to 2,000 parents and students in the audience, I figured I could at least get some people thinking.
Alas, there was only time for five questions before the tour, and the woman didn't call on me. I did find out, however, that BU has been extremely successful in the Beanpot Hockey Tournament.
Ok, I'll get back to the real purpose of this blog now: football and look-a-likes.
... but before I do, I just want to say this college thing really ticks me off.
I would suggest to one or all of the three remaining Presidential candidates that bringing up the idea that tuition should be tax deductible would potentially result in more votes
Ok, I'll get back to the real purpose of this blog now: football and look-a-likes.
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Monologue from "The West Wing" Espisode titled "20 Hours in America":
"It should be hard. I like that it's hard. Putting your daughter through college, that's, that's a man's job. A man's accomplishment. But it should be a little easier. Just a little easier. 'Cause in that difference is... everything."