Mary Burke, democratic candidate for Governor’s 35 page platform “Invest for Success” is full of bold ideas to reform college education. These ideas are audacious. As a UW Student, I wanted to know how these reforms would affect me and how likely they would be to pass, should she be elected. I found them to be positive reforms that will help the 181,000 UW system students and their families. This November, UW students, alumni and citizens of Wisconsin should support Mary Burke.
Burke proposes creating an authority to refinance student loans, and wants to make student loan tax deductible. The new deduction could save the average student loan borrower around $179 annually in taxes, in addition to the money saved by refinancing their student loans. The proposals are borrowed from a bill by state Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay and state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine called the “Higher Ed, Lower Debt Act.” The bill was voted down in the Assembly 60-38 in February, but Burke remains hopeful that she will be able to push through a newer version if elected.
Wisconsin’s total number of 753,000 students with loan debt and their families should warmly welcome Burke and her reforms. On average, public university students’ tuition and fees rose 2.9 percent from 2013-14, nearly double the inflation rate. Wisconsin also ranks 39th in funding per public college student, according to a study by the College Board. Students should support Burke if they want a comprehensive solution to massive loan debt.
Burke supports raising the College Tuition Deduction from $6,943 to $10,424, and extending incomes that are eligible for the deduction from about $100,000 to $150,000. One 2003 tax sample suggested that the College Tuition Deduction only benefits 4.5 percent of the tax paying population, so raising it to $10,424 will affect few families.
However, raising eligible income for the deduction to $150,000 will have far reaching effects. According to the Department of Revenue 231,220 citizens filed in tax brackets between $100,000 and $200,000 in 2010. Thousands of those filers will benefit if the College Tuition Deduction is raised to $150,000. Burke is aiming to help middle class families facing steep increases in tuition.
Her education tax credits and financial authority would impact far more students than the Walker tuition freezes, because they would save students money for more than the next two years.
Perhaps her most feasible reform is to the UW System itself. Burke advocates for improving the transferability of credits within the UW System. After graduating high school, Wisconsin students have the option of going to one of UW’s 13 two year campuses to save money before transferring to one of UW’s 13 bigger and more expensive four year campuses.
Currently, the reality is each university sets its own testing and grading policies, which makes successfully transferring credits difficult for students. Burke would like to see full transferability of credits in the UW system to save students time and money. Support for this idea should be nonpartisan. Easier transferability would cut red tape for students and streamline Wisconsin education. This is her most realistic goal, and could save students thousands.
The financial authority, tax deductions and transferability of credits are on only a few pages out of Mary Burke’s full 35 page “Invest for Success” platform. The entire booklet is full of other new ideas she believes will move Wisconsin forward. Students and their families who are facing seemingly insurmountable debt have reason to support Burke and her reforms. Mary Burke is fighting for long term answers to today’s problems. This is why I will, and Wisconsin students should, vote for Mary Burke on Nov. 4.
Miller is a Freshman and new opinion columnist for the Daily Cardinal. Who will win this November’s election between Mary Burke and Scott Walker Does Mary Burke have enough momentum and support to defeat incumbent Governor Scott Walker? Is Wisconsin tired of the incredible amount of student loan debt burdening the state? Please tell us how you feel about the upcoming gubernatorial election in Wisconsin and send all of your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
