Footo-Linz, a psychology professor at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, works with APA to bring her students to Capitol Hill each year to advocate for the federally funded Graduate Psychology Education Program, which supports more than 30 accredited psychology training programs. “When our lawmakers hear our students and what they’re trying to do for our state, it has a real impact,” she says.
During a November visit with Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W.V.), the students made an impression. Jenkins had voted to support a bill that would have increased taxes on graduate students by counting tuition waivers as income. After the students explained how critical the waivers were to their education, Jenkins opposed the repeal of the provision. Footo-Linz and her students were heartened to see that the tuition waiver provision remained in the final version of the tax bill.
