How the House GOP Tax Plan Would Affect Grad Students

The U.S. House of Representatives, on a largely party-line vote on Thursday, passed an overhaul of the tax code that could have far-reaching consequences for higher education — and especially for graduate students who work as teaching or research assistants. The Republican-sponsored bill contains a provision that would tax tuition waivers provided to employees of colleges, including those graduate students. The waivers serve as a significant benefit to student workers who otherwise would not be able to afford to pay tuition on what is often meager pay from their institutions.