Remember, there’s also a minimum amount of income, below which there’s no requirement to file taxes.
As long as a college student isn’t working, the value of that free room and board will generally not reach that minimum.
UH’s room and board rate listed on UH’s website for the 2023-2024 academic year ($10,830) is below the IRS minimum required for filing income tax as a single filer under age 65 ($13,850).
In other words, the typical “free ride” college student with room and board covered that doesn’t work a side gig probably will not make enough to where they will have to report/file/pay income taxes on their room and board.
But in the new paradigm, with NIL dollars ( or out right direct payments if that comes to be) it does look as if its taxable. UT had almost 3,000 NIL deals and $15 million in last 2 years; most to FB and BB.
Those numbers , while big, don’t work out to a lot of money on average. Average would only be $5,000 per deal; but this is probably a case we’re averages don’t paint the picture accurately. Some stud players get multiple NIL deals with 5-6 figure earnings.
They have several state subsidized colleges on their campus one can argue students affiliated with those schools are public.
On the other hand, the best brains in Labor went to school on their campus on all three sides of the issue.
Pro-Union, Anti-Union, and Neutral Arbitrators are graduates of the labor relations school. The toughest union busters went through their program. They can do the work Pro-Bono.