Higher Education Tax Credits: An Economic Analysis

Publication Date: February 2007

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

Type:

Abstract:

Education tax credits, the Hope Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit, were introduced as new subsidies for higher education in 1997 and have cost, on average, $4.6 billion a year in lost tax revenue since their enactment. The introduction of the credits marked a dramatic increase in education spending through tax expenditures. Prior to 1997, tax incentives for higher education expenses totaled less than $2 billion in estimated lost revenue. The introduction of education tax credits expanded the number of federal agencies involved in education policy making and increased the complexity and cost of administering the income tax system.

This report provides analysis of the education tax credit program. The report begins with a review of the economic rationale for subsidizing education, then describes federal subsidies for education in general and education tax credits in particular. An analysis of the education credits follows, and the report concludes with a discussion of education tax credit policy options.

Economists believe that education causes positive externalities since it generates both private benefits for individuals and social benefits for the public at large. Such social benefits may include better citizenship, higher degrees of compliance with public laws, increased productivity, and intergenerational transfers of knowledge. The individual does not capture these social benefits in decision making about his or her level of educational investment and, thus, underinvests in education. Government subsidies to finance education can stimulate private demand for education in order to attain more optimal levels of education production that achieve market equilibrium outcomes.

Government subsidies for higher education include indirect spending through the tax code and direct program spending. Most programs grant aid to education institutions and provide assistance directly to students and their families, as in the case of the education tax credits. The Higher Education Act (HEA), which was scheduled to expire in the 109th Congress and was extended through June 2007, authorizes many student aid programs which provide grants, loans, and work-study assistance.

Tax credits for higher education, one form of government education subsidy, can be evaluated by looking at tax policy criteria of economic efficiency, equity, and simplicity. Tax credits are not proven to be efficient at increasing enrollment and thus improving social welfare. Tax credits can, however, be beneficial in making college costs more affordable. Higher income households are more able, and more likely, to benefit from education credits, which some view as detracting from equity in the tax code. Yet, the credits provide needed relief for the middle class, many of whom may not qualify for any other source of financial aid. Education credits add complexity and cost to the administration of income taxes, both for individuals and the federal government, but may offer a less-complicated alternative to traditional financial aid.

This report will be updated as warranted by legislative events.