From: UND Gradschool <und.gradschool@UND.

EDU>

Date: November 10, 2017 at 2:46:48 PM CST

To: <UND-GRADSCHOOL@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU>

Subject: URGENT: Please Read (with attachment)

Reply-To: UND Gradschool <und.gradschool@UND.EDU>

Here is the email again WITH the attachment.

To All Graduate Students:

We received the following information from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) President:

Protect higher education in tax reform #donttaxeducation

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) would substantially reduce tax benefits and increase
costs for college students by $65 billion over the next decade. As written, H.R. 1 would
repeal the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC), which provides a tax benefit to part-time
students, non-traditional students, graduate students, and lifelong learners. The bill also
would repeal the student loan interest deduction that provides a tax credit of up to
$2,500, helping to reduce student debt levels and making it more affordable to for
millions of middle- and lower-income students and families to finance a college
education. In addition, H.R. 1 would repeal Sec. 117 (d)(5), which provides graduate
student teaching and research assistants a tax exemption for tuition waivers.

Congress needs to hear from students and graduates that we oppose this legislation
and these cuts to the education programs. H.R.1 will make college more expensive and
will lead to increased student loan debt.

If you feel inclined to do so, we would encourage you to contact your U.S. Senators and
Representatives about this Act in terms of its potential effects on you and your families. We
have attached to this email a recommended sample letter produced by the CGS; while you may
certainly feel free to simply adopt this form letter, we would suggest that you personalize the
message as much as possible, since personal messages are often given greater weight than
form letters.
Here is contact information for our delegation:

Congressman Kevin Cramer

4200 James Ray Drive
Office 600
Grand Forks, ND 58202
To send an email: https://cramer.house.gov/contact

Senator John Hoeven

Federal Building
102 North Fourth St., Rm 108
Grand Forks, ND 58203
Phone: (701) 746-8972
To send an email: https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/contact/email-the-senator

Senator Heidi Heitkamp

33 South Third Street Suite B
Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone: (701) 775-9601
To send an email: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-heidi

More detailed information about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and its effects on higher education
is available here: http://www.acenet.edu/Pages/Higher-Education-and-Tax-Reform.aspx

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact School of Graduate Studies
Associate Dean Chris Nelson.

Chris Nelson
Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Associate Professor
Department of English
University of North Dakota
chris.nelson@und.edu
105 Twamley
Ph: 701-777-2786
1A Merrifield
Ph: 701-777-2762