It's safe to say that 2016 is the year when skyrocketingeducation costs and a record $1.3 trillion in outstanding studentdebt have taken center stage among the most urgent issuesfacing our nation. In his final State of the Union Address,President Obama reiterated his belief that higher education needsto be made more affordable for all Americans, and that we need tofind ways to reduce and help manage student debt. He statedthat too many young graduates are held back by having to starttheir adult lives “stuck in the red.”

The good news is that Americans aren't going to have to waituntil after the presidential election to see student loan reformbegin to be enacted by our leaders in Washington. In Octoberof last year, Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois 13th Districtsponsored H.R. 3861, The Employer Participation in Student LoanAssistance Act. Along with its companion bill sponsored by Sen.Mark Warner (D-Va.), this bill would extend the tax exclusion thatcurrently applies to employer-provided tuitionassistance – up to $5,250 per year – to include employercontributions to employee's student loan repayment.

Despite today's highly partisan climate in Congress, thelegislation has strong bi-partisan support, with nine Democrats and11 Republicans as co-sponsors. I recently had the chance to speakwith Rep. Davis to discuss his thoughts on the bill and his reasonsfor sponsoring it.