Of the various pieces of legislation expected to come before the Alaska Legislature this session, one will attempt to reduce the cost of state-issued educational loans for college or university students.
Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, announced recently in his constituent newsletter that he was supporting a bill that offers a 2 percent reduction in "college and state-issued vocational educational loans for students who stay in or move back to Alaska."
Gara notes that education loans often come with 7-8 percent interest charges. While 2 percent doesn't sound like a lot of money, it could mean thousands in savings for ambitious Alaskans who are required to look Outside for accreditation as lawyers or doctors. That's because the University of Alaska system does not offer a law school or medical school.
Read a bit more about the interest deductible here. For a full list of bills pre-filed by last Friday's (first) deadline, read here. Note that a second deadline for pre-filed legislative bills is Friday, Jan. 13.