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McKinley Asked About Student Debt at West Liberty University

U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., addresses West Liberty University students during a visit to campus on Friday. Photo by Joselyn King

WEST LIBERTY — Many college students are amassing huge amounts of debt that could take decades to repay, so some at West Liberty University on Friday asked U.S. Rep. David McKinley if Congress has any plans to lessen their financial burdens.

McKinley, R-W.Va., addressed students majoring in integrated marketing, legal environment and computer information systems during a stop at the university.

McKinley told the students he worked his way through college while obtaining an engineering degree from Purdue University, but acknowledged that would be difficult today.

“I work 35 hours a week — sometimes more, and I go to school full-time. Still, there’s no way I could afford to do that,” one student told McKinley. “I’m trying to better myself and have an education, and what am I doing? I’m putting myself in a hole because I’m going to be paying student loans for the next 25 years.”

The student said she would like to see a forgiveness program, through which a full-time student who works is given some tax relief in his or her paycheck.

McKinley said the topic of debt forgiveness for college is being considered in Congress. One proposal would give new teachers who choose to teach in rural or inner-city communities some amount of relief on their student loans.

The same deal could be offered to engineering students who work for a small town water district, or for someone majoring in almost any discipline, he said.

Perhaps, those with student loans could get tax credits for volunteer work they do, McKinley suggested.

Members of Congress are “trying to be creative” as they have the chance to rewrite and reauthorize federal higher education policy, McKinley said.

“It’s a blank sheet of paper right now,” he told the students. “What people tell us, we’re going to take back to Washington and see if it sells.

“Whatever we do, we’re going to have to find 218 votes (to assure passage in the 435-member House). We just have to convince them of your solutions.”

A similar idea to give volunteer firefighters tax breaks also could help those departments struggling to get members, McKinley said.

He said there is a concept in Congress which could possibly lead to giving firefighters who volunteer at least 200 hours per year to their department a $30-an-hour tax break — putting $6,000 annually back in their pockets.

There are 412 volunteer fire departments in West Virginia, according to McKinley.

He said the legislation establishing the tax breaks has passed the House, but hasn’t been considered by the Senate.

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