Claim: Romney wants to “cut college aid for middle class families…”
Ad(s): “Stick” / “Take Away”
Sponsor(s): Priorities USA Action
Air Dates: October 6 – 30
Total Estimated Spending On This Claim: $975,067 ($3,900,269 Total)
States: CO, FL, IA, OH, VA, WI
Markets: Colorado Springs, Denver, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, Youngstown, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Washington D.C., Green Bay
Stations: CO – KKTV, KOAA, KRDO, KXRM, KCNC, KDVR, KMGH, KTVD, KUSA, KWGN; FL – WESH, WFTV, WKCF, WKMG, WOFL, WOPX, WRBW, WRDQ, WFLX, WPBF, WPEC, WPTV, WTVX; IA – KCRG, KFXA, KGAN, KWWL, KLJB, KWQC, WHBF, WQAD, KCCI, KCWI, KDSM, WHO, WOI, KCAU, KMEG, KPTH, KTIV; OH – EKRC, WCPO, WKRC, WLWT, WSTR, WXIX, WBNX, WEWS, WJW, WKYC, WOIO, WUAB, WBNS, WCMH, WSYX, WTTE, WWHO, WBDT, WDTN, WHIO, WKEF, WRGT, WNWO, WTOL, WTVG, WUPW, WFMJ, WKBN, WYTV; VA – WAVY, WGNT, WTKR, WTVZ, WVBT, WVEC, WRIC, WRLH, WTVR, WUPV, WWBT, EDBJ, WDBJ, WFXR, WSLS, WWCW, WDCA, WDCW, WJLA, WRC, WTTG, WUSA; WI – WACY, WBAY, WCWF, WFRV, WGBA, WLUK
Politifact Summary: “This charge stems from a study by the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, attempting to calculate the effects of Romney’s tax proposal. The proposal lacks detail but sets some broad outlines, including allowing the American Opportunity tax credit for higher education, which was part of the 2009 stimulus bill, to expire. According to the study, Romney’s economic advisers say that the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) would revert back to the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) tax credit, which also provides aid to college students but is less generous and covers fewer Americans than the AOTC.”