As voters head to the polls next month, they’re looking at two very different futures for education.
One of the most talked about debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump has been their opposing views on education and the funding that goes toward it.
While only a handful of students will be voting in November, all students will be affected by who is elected, especially those going to college in the next five years.

Clinton plans to make college debt free. For families who earn $125,000 or less each year, she plans to eventually make in-state college tuition free while also pushing colleges to control costs.

Senior Julia Randolph likes that the plan would allow more people from different backgrounds to attend college.

“It would really impact students because not only would it impact the students that would now be able to get that education, but people that outside of that would be more exposed to socioeconomic racial cultural diversity that they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise,” Randolph said.

A Trump adviser has said the candidate wants student loans to originate with banks and not the federal government.

Trump intends to cut Common Core and No Child Left Behind using $20 billion in federal money to leave the choice up to parents on which school they would like their children to attend, making private schools an option for more students.

“I don’t see how it’s feasible,” junior Jackson Hoy said. “There’s no way to standardize private schools so a lot of the private schools would just be jokes. It would just be that if you can’t pay enough for a good school then your screwed.”

The question of who could best lower the percentage of dropouts and help students go to college was put before students.

“I suppose Hillary because her plan is encouraging to students,” senior Devin Van Schmus said. “Trump’s is more proving he doesn’t want to regulate schools or be bothered with it.”

While Clinton’s ideals for education may relate more to the mind of millennials, Trump’s plans may perhaps entice some adults. The future of education casts significantly upon which candidate is elected, along with the politicians voted into the House of Representatives and Senate.
The future of education now lies in hands of those eligible to vote.

What issues in this election are important to you?

“Right now, especially as a senior going to college, the cost of college obviously is a big part. But also I would say green energy which they addressed on a little in the second debate.”—Noah Mercer, senior

 

“I just really want a president who will follow in Obama’s legacy… I want somebody that has a similar view on healthcare and immigration. That person would be Hillary Clinton. With ideas of education and the more open conversations about racism, discrepancies, and social class.”—Vera Petrovic, sophomore

 

“I think it’s important that we have a president that tends to lead the way and set an example on what to do vs. what not to do. So far to me Hillary has shown that she is setting examples on those kind of topics on diversity and including others.”— Brian Myers, junior