That's a really good point I hadn't considered. Do you think it would help if I framed it as an option the company could offer to everyone rather than just for my situation? Maybe present research on how many employees might have student loans?

Approaching it as a company-wide benefit is definitely the better strategy. Do some research on companies in your industry that offer this benefit and how they implement it. Gather data on average student loan debt for professionals in your field and typical program structures. Then create a brief proposal showing the potential impact on employee retention and recruitment. Many companies find that student loan assistance programs significantly improve their ability to attract and retain younger talent, which often provides ROI that exceeds the program costs. Frame it as a competitive advantage rather than a personal accommodation.

The matching approach is smart. My company started with $50/month matching and it was popular enough that they increased it to $200/month the following year. Much easier for them to implement than lump sums.

Did you have any issues with either employer finding out about the other job? I'm thinking about doing this but worried my main job might consider it a conflict of interest or something.

I didn't have any direct issues because the jobs were in completely different industries (office admin work during weekdays and retail on evenings/weekends). Neither company had policies against outside employment. However, I did almost get caught once when I had to call out sick from my weekend job and my manager there tried to reach me during a weekday meeting at my main job. I'd definitely recommend checking your employment contracts first. Some companies do have clauses about outside employment, especially if it could be considered a conflict of interest or if they think it might affect your performance.

I tried using that IRS calculator thing and got super confused. It asked for way more information than I had available. Is there a simpler way to figure this out?

I use H&R Block software and there's a specific section for home office/business property expenses. For tree removal that threatens the structure, I listed it under "repairs and maintenance" and then applied my business use percentage.

That's brilliant! What documentation did you need to provide to make that work? I'm guessing you'd need to show the wood was actually used in products?

Voting barely matters tho. Both parties spend crazy amounts on military and corporate subsidies no matter who wins. The choices we get are so limited and once they're in office they do whatever lobbyists want anyway.

Voting absolutely matters, but you need to look beyond just the presidential race. Congressional, state and local elections have huge impacts on how your tax dollars are spent. In fact, a much higher percentage of your state/local taxes go to things that directly affect your daily life. You're right that there's bipartisan agreement on some big spending categories, but there are still significant differences in budget priorities between parties and individual candidates. The key is getting involved in primaries and supporting candidates who align with your spending priorities. Democracy isn't a spectator sport - it requires active participation beyond just complaining.

I actually did this last year! I wrote to my representative about wanting more transparency in tax spending. Got a form letter back with general budget info. Not super helpful but at least they logged my concern.

Doesn't the American opportunity credit have some restrictions? I thought you can only claim it for 4 years total? And isn't there an income limit before you can't claim it anymore?

Yes, there are restrictions. The American Opportunity Credit is limited to 4 tax years per eligible student. So if you've already claimed it for 4 years, you can't claim it again, even if you're still in school. There is indeed an income limit - for 2025, the credit begins to phase out when your modified adjusted gross income reaches $80,000 ($160,000 if married filing jointly) and is completely phased out at $90,000 ($180,000 for joint filers). But for most students with only scholarship income, this won't be an issue since their income typically falls well below these thresholds.

You should still file your own tax return if you meet the filing requirements, even if you're claimed as a dependent on your parents' taxes. Your scholarship income is your income, not theirs. Being claimed as a dependent just means you can't claim yourself as an exemption, and there may be limits on certain credits you can claim. But you'll still report your own income on your own return. This is particularly important with scholarship income because only you can determine which portions were used for qualified expenses versus living expenses.