• The Young Adult population makes up 25% of the total population (or over 1 Million people)
  
• 10% are under the age of 25 (making them ineligible for EITC)
  
• Young Adults are the highest uninsured population (39%)
  
• 30% of Young Adults live in poverty
  
• Young Adults typically spend 25 cents of every dollar on debt
  
• Only 25% of people over 25 have a college degree
  
• Only 21% of all adults out of high school are in higher education
  
• 15% of all student loans end in default
  

An interesting policy that makes you go, hmmmm...

Earned Income Tax Credit:

The EITC is only available for people ages 25-65 and it is typically the largest single payment that people receive during the course of the year. 75% of YA’s graduating from high school will not go to college, opting to enter the workforce and yet they are not eligible for this tax credit. Apart from education, EITC is also the most effective tool to date for moving people out of poverty. No one in Congress has been able to explain or provide any reason to A4YA why EITC begins at age 25. A4YA will continue to pursue this credit for people 18-24 years old.

Another helpful idea?

Enact Legislation to Encourage Utility Payment Reporting to Credit Bureaus

Credit Scores Matter – Low and No Credit Scores Disproportionally Harm Low-Income Families:

The lack of sufficient payment information in credit files harms families and the nation’s economy. Credit scores are checked for employment, rental and financial services. No or low credit scores can result in reduced access to mainstream credit, forcing borrowers toward higher priced lenders or prohibiting economic investment in homes or businesses. A straightforward solution for the millions that are credit worthy “good risks” but lack the necessary payment evidence is to simply add more information to their credit files. 

Utility and Telecommunications Payment Reporting to Credit Bureaus Improves Credit Scores: 

The value of including utility and telecom payment information in consumer credit files can be predictive of future delinquency by individuals in general. And through the pervasive reporting of such non‐financial payment data to consumer reporting agencies, millions of Americans with little or no credit history can establish payment histories and gain access to mainstream affordable credit.
(source - CFED)