Barbara Mikulski: “I rise to introduce the ``Educational Opportunity for All Act.'' The core of the American Dream is getting a college…”

“I rise to introduce the ``Educational Opportunity for All Act.'' The core of the American Dream is getting a college education and I want to make sure that every student has access to that dream. I want to help families who are trying to send their children to college and adults who are going back to school--for their first degree or their third. This $4,000 tuition tax credit will help students who are taking one night class at a community college to update their skills or four classes at a university to get their bachelor's degree. And my tax credit is refundable so it helps families who don't owe taxes. Our middle class families are stressed and stretched. Families in my State of Maryland are worried--they're worried about their jobs and they're terrified of losing their healthcare when costs keep ballooning. Many are holding down more than one job to make ends meet. They're racing from carpools to work and back again. But most of all, they don't know how they can afford to send their kids to college. And they want to know what we in the United States Senate are doing to help them. That's why I want to give every family sending a child to college a $4,000 per student per year tuition tax credit. My bill would give help to those who practice self help--the families who are working and saving to send their child to college or update their own skills. College tuition is on the rise across America.”