East Greenbush, N.Y. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik joined Congresswoman Drew Ferguson (R-GA) in introducing the Protecting American Students Act to ensure that only American students are counted towards endowment tax calculations.
The bill amends the scope of the Endowment Tax calculation to only account for students eligible for federal financial assistance under the Higher Education Act. This includes students who are a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States or able to provide evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that he or she is in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident. The bill does not include students who are in the U.S. temporarily or on a student visa. By excluding noncitizens from the calculation, this legislation would add approximately 10 schools to the 35 that currently qualify, including Columbia University.
“In my continued effort to hold education institutions accountable that fail to protect Jewish students, I am leading legislation that will penalize universities for their negligence in dealing with hostile and antisemitic mobs on their campus,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
“The rising antisemitic behavior on college campuses is beyond unacceptable, and many leaders of these movements are international students,” said Congressman Drew Ferguson. “United States educational institutions should not be rewarded with generous tax benefits while condoning this behavior, and the Protecting American Students Act ensures these universities create a safe environment for all students.”
In April 2024, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, demanding action on Columbia University’s campus as Columbia President Minouche Shafik continues to allow an unsanctioned mob of students and agitators to harass and threaten Jewish students and community members.
