How many of you are utilizing student loans to pay for your education?

I know I am.

Typically, student loans are made to those without the resources to pay for college themselves. I realize that there is an argument that if you had 80 grand sitting around, it may be a better idea to invest that money for a higher return than what you could borrow it for under cheap government subsidized loans, but that is a small percentage of people.


I am urging you to contact your NC US Senator, Elizabeth Dole, and ask her to help relieve the burden of repayment by allowing you to deduct your student loan repayments "above the line" in order to reduce your adjusted gross income and therefore your taxable income.

I am sure that no one will care, but it is something that would benefit the lower and middle classes without greatly reducing federal tax revenues.

Just getting the idea out there could be the first step in changing this law for your benefit.

Here is the link for conacting your Senator:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NC

11/5/2007 10:35:55 PM

Quote :

"utilizing"

11/5/2007 11:41:32 PM

what?

is that too big of a word for you?

11/6/2007 12:03:44 AM

Quote :

"How many of you are utilizing student loans to pay for your education? I know I am. "

LOL...infomercial much?

11/6/2007 12:11:02 AM

buy an ad

11/6/2007 12:11:58 AM

isnt she the one that moved to nc like 2 days before she said she would run in her home state?

11/6/2007 12:25:01 AM

Quote :

"A number of critics have remarked that utilize is an unnecessary substitute for use. It is true that many occurrences of utilize could be replaced by use with no loss to anything but pretentiousness [emphasis added], for example, in sentences such as They utilized questionable methods in their analysis or We hope that many commuters will continue to utilize mass transit after the bridge has reopened."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/utilize

11/6/2007 12:38:49 AM

^^ as opposed to Hillary, who had no connections whatsoever to NY before she decided to run for senator? what's your point?

11/6/2007 6:55:15 AM

Quote :

"as opposed to Hillary, who had no connections whatsoever to NY before she decided to run for senator? what's your point?"

Wow, you're really a pitiful tool. Why do you care so much about NY/Hillary that you try to change the topic to her whenever you can? We're talking about our state representative who frankly, is just a tool of the GOP.

11/6/2007 7:14:07 AM

Regardless of when she moved here, she is our Senator. I don't particularly care for her, but i know that they track the number of times that they have been contacted about an issue and once it reaches a certain level, they will address it in some way. At least I know State Senators use a method similar to that.

Something like this could show a politician's dedication to education and really bring down your marginal tax rate. Essentially, the cost of borrowing could be eliminated all together through a program like this. Unfortunately, the government would pick up the tab, but this is just as valid a reason for a subsidy as those given to large corporations for moving to NC. It helps the overall economy when people are educated.

And hooksaw, good job leaving off the end of that quote from dictionary. Here is the rest:

Quote :

"But utilize can mean "to find a profitable or practical use for." Thus the sentence "The teachers were unable to use the new computers," might mean only that the teachers were unable to operate the computers, whereas "The teachers were unable to utilize the new computers," suggests that the teachers could not find ways to employ the computers in instruction."

It's pretty funny that you didn't realize that "utilizing" was a word and had to go about desperately looking for an excuse for your ignorance.

Quote :

"LOL...infomercial much?"

I do like the Magic Bullet informercial. Good call.

11/6/2007 8:56:55 AM

^ I left it out because it doesn't apply to your use of utilize in the context at issue. FYI.

Once again, for your edification--the point:

Quote :

"It is true that many occurrences of utilize could be replaced by use with no loss to anything but pretentiousness."

11/6/2007 1:25:32 PM

Of course it applies.

If I were to have invoked the word "use," I would have been implying that students could not figure out what the mechanics of a loan are. By instead applying "utilizing," I was inferring that students had the capability to "use" student loans, but was questioning their ability to do so profitably.

Of course, having read your posts, my assumption about the intelligence of those on this board were grossly misplaced.

I hate to admit it, but all the left wingers on this board may be right about you completely lacking in reading comprehension.

11/6/2007 1:46:35 PM

I thought that this thread was supposed to be about a tax break

11/6/2007 3:20:58 PM

To get back on topic: I'd be interested in contacting her if I thought she was useful at all. I sent an e-mail to her a few months back saying I was concerned with one of the signing statements that bush issued that basically said the govt could take our land and all associated property if the president thought we were being counterproductive to the war effort (very vaguely worded).


She sent me a letter about a month later telling me that she supported the troops.

11/6/2007 3:27:49 PM

Quote :

"snt she the one that moved to nc like 2 days before she said she would run in her home state?"

fuck you you ignorant sack of shit. She was born and raised here. Then she lived with Bob whereever and then they moved back here so she could run.

I see no problem with that. She is a North Carolinian.

11/6/2007 3:57:27 PM

Currently under 26 USC 221 we are only allowed a deduction on student loans of up to 2500 a year on INTEREST.

An adjustment to AGI would greatly benefit those with meager economic means (me + millions of others).

Certainly the tax break would have to only apply to individual incomes below a certain thresh hold, but anything would be helpful. I suggested to her that those working for public service or the government be given the break since typically these types of workers make a little less than their civilian counterparts.

I wrote to her and I will report back in a month when this thread is long dead with what's sure to be disappointing results.

[Edited on November 6, 2007 at 8:10 PM. Reason : 221, pardon me]

11/6/2007 8:09:30 PM