WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today introduced the Lifetime Learning Credit Enhancement Act, which would help make education more affordable. Senator Roberts introduced this legislation after leading the temporary tax policy taskforce which examined Individual, Excise and Other temporary policies earlier this year.

“Through the taskforce, we discovered so many people are not taking advantage of the best educational tax incentives and are missing out on hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of tax incentives,” said Sen. Roberts. “This legislation would simplify the tax code and make it easier for everyone, especially lower income families, to afford their education.”

Currently, post-secondary (after high school) students are eligible to receive permanent tax credits including the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit. A separate incentive, the tuition and fees tax deduction, expired in 2017 along with a handful of other tax extenders. The Lifetime Learning Credit Enhancement Act would simplify the tax code to eliminate the deduction for tuition and fees in conjunction with an increase in income eligibility thresholds for the Lifetime Learning Credit, which would not only make taxes easier, but ensure taxpayers are taking advantage of the best tax credits available to them.