In 2009 Congress and President Obama approved a $50 Billion college expense reimbursement credit to help students and families pay for college. The credit known as the American Opportunity Tax Credit or AOTC provides undergraduate college students with a refund of up to $2500 per year for education related expenses. The credit is intended to reduce the cost of attendance and to reduce the now total outstanding student loan debt which now exceeds $1 TRILLION. Although millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of their educational debts, while the economy continues to sputter. Many are not aware that Aid in the form of Education tax benefits are already available. According to a report by Sallie Mae nearly 55% of borrwers fail to take advantage of eligible education tax benefits, aid intended to stimulate family and community economies and limit student debt. The ineffectiveness of the implementation of the AOTC can be remedied by requiring Colleges and Universities to provide education and resources on Education related tax benefits to students and parents. In addition as identified the creation of a Social Benefits Administration division within the IRS is a predominent need of tax reform which would enhance the agencies service to the public. Sign this petition to support reducing the cost of attendence at your College or University by requiring Cash for College, resources and education for Education Tax Credits and supporting Social Benefit Administration Tax Reform. We encourage petitioners to start petitions for their College or University. For more information visit www.facebook.com/generateus or www.123taxcredit.com

I wanted to start this petition not only because I have a child soon to start Harrisburg school district..but also to get everybody who feels the way I feel about this issue to sign so we have a voice..divided we may not seem like much but together we have a voice! Please sign...

African-American students in our public schools get disciplined three times more than white students, even though white students outnumber them two to one. These disciplinary actions easily escalate into unnecessary suspensions, the best predictor of dropping out of school. Students who drop out are 3.5 times more likely of getting arrested. This systematic pushing out of students from schools onto the streets disproportionately affects poor students, students of color and LGBT youth. The Seattle School Board can decide to prohibit suspensions and expulsion as a disciplinary action in schools, and use a restorative justice model to deal with conflict. When the Denver public school system began using this practice, they saw a 80% drop in school conflicts.

If you're a current or former student unable to ever catch up with student loan payments because of increasing balances due to daily compounded interest rates, help me send the message to the White House and Congress to introduce legislation that will make interest rates fixed on all existing and future government backed student loans.

The Illinois Constitution clearly states: SECTION 5. PENSION AND RETIREMENT RIGHTS Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.

This petition is to get back standard consumer protection - including bankruptcy to Private Student Loans. Private Students Loans are not federally insured and therefore should be treated like any other private debt (Credit Cards, Mortgage, Car Loans etc...) Bankruptcy protection was removed from Private Student Loans in 2005 after intense Lobbying by Student Loan giants. Congress amended Title 11 of the Federal Financial Insolvency Codes which took this protection away. Student Lending Giants claimed that adding private student loans to this would help them offer lower interest rates and more favorable terms to student borrowers who did not qualify for federally insured loans. This has in fact had the opposite effect and instead is used as a huge money making tool for student lenders.

In 2005 Congress passed a law that protected private unsecured student loans against bankruptcy. This is an unfair practice and allows financial institutions federal protection on a private debt. This would be likened to not being able to discharge a credit card in bankruptcy because the credit card was protected by federal law. It is not fair to the consumer and negates the true reason for bankruptcy to begin with.

Tennessee is on the verge of turning the clock of science education back to 1925, the days of the Scopes Monkey Trial, and Governor Bill Haslam is the only one who can stop it. Last week, the Tennessee State Legislature passed legislation (HB 368/SB 893), which allows classroom teachers to position well-established scientific topics such as evolution and global warming as "controversial." The bill is the brainchild of Senator Bo Watson, who claims that the bill will help improve student's critical thinking skills. But leading scholars and science education groups strongly disagree, and have widely condemned the bill. If this bill becomes law, the students of Tennessee will suffer its consequences. As the American Association for the Advancement of Science explains, “Asserting that there are significant scientific controversies about the overall nature of these concepts when there are none will only confuse students, not enlighten them.” Students confused about well-established scientific facts will have a harder time getting into college, more difficulty getting the high-tech jobs of the 21st century, and will be unprepared to deal with the very real impacts of climate change that are their inheritance. This bill will also damage the state's reputation as a leader in science education, and could harm science and technology jobs in Tennessee. Governor Haslam has the ability to stop all of this from happening, which is why we strongly urge him to veto the bill today!

Pennsylvania State Governor Tom Corbett is cutting 20% to 30% of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This includes funding for state schools, driving the price of tuition exponentially higher. As college students, we can barely afford college as it is, even at a state school. Loans are not ideal but we have no other recourse. We can't let this stand. College students need to be able to pay for college. Sign this petition and help us keep ourselves in school.

teachers and principles have not reconized bullying is bad in some schools and have not addressed this issue to parents, therefore the kids are getting bad grades and all the parents do is nothing but get mad at them.. i want to make it so these people get some sort of punishment for not doing anything or at least a warning please everyone help

This petition aims to have the obama administration restore the once held federal tax exemption for graduate students and extend it to post-doctoral fellows. We need to encourage people to pursue higher education degrees, and adding a financial incentive will ensure the best and brightest obtain PhDs and work in the United States to grow our economy and spur innovation.

Schools need to develop partnerships with parents and communities, to increase their ability to inspire students' success, especially those most in need.