I currently give about $6,000 to charity yearly. I am returning to college and would like to commit that money to tuition while I finish school. Is the tax impact the same? I will be pursuing a graduate degree in NYS.

I would need to know a LOT more about your situation, like how much you earn, your marital status, whether you own a home on which you are paying a mortgage, etc. before I could even begin to tell you how the loss of a $6,000 charity donation would affect your tax situation.