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How Does The 2020 Presidential Election Affect College Students?
Vote 2020 Buttons (image courtesy: WQKT) Elizabeth Lemieux Staff Writer College students are a very large demographic in the United States of America. When they all show up to vote, they have the power to sway the election results. So, who did they vote for in the 2020 Presidential Election? How do they feel about key issues facing the country? On November 4, a voluntary survey was sent
out on social media for SNHU students to fill out. Students were asked to disclose who they voted for. Out of 15 people, 10 voted for Vice President Joe Biden, four voted for President Donald Trump and one voted for Dr. Jo Jorgensen. In the survey, students were asked what they believe is the biggest issue facing the country right now. Four students mentioned the pandemic, four wrote about racism, and
three mentioned the division in our country that has become more clear in recent years. “Racial disparity and misinformation [are some of the biggest issues facing our country],” says Lauren Treitman, (‘21), a senior at SNHU. The survey also asked participants if they believe the election results will affect college students and how. “Yes, Joe Biden will get the virus under control
and college students back in school and back enjoying college life. He will ensure we graduate into a safe world with respect restored to the US,” says Emily Albright, (‘23), a sophomore at SNHU. A few participants indicated that they weren’t sure if or how their demographic would be affected by the election results. Surely, the entire population is affected by the results of a Presidential election, but how will the college students of America fare? The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) provided information on how each presidential candidate felt about higher education and what they have done or plan to do for college students and alumni. Trump proposed to cut funding for the Department of Education in the past. He has tried to abolish public service loan forgiveness and subsidized loans, NASFAA says.
However, in August of 2019, Trump signed an executive order which forgives student loans for any US veteran who is permanently disabled. He also signed an executive order this year to extend the CARE Act, an act that paused payment and interest accrual on all federal student loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden plans to make several changes to the financial aid program and repayment process to help low-income students afford college and/ or pay off their student loans. This plan includes doubling the Pell grant award and working towards making college tuition-free for those with a family income of less than $125,000 as the College for All Act of 2017 proposes. It also includes putting conditions in place for those making less than $30,000 after graduation so they are not required to make monthly loan payments until their annual income increases,
NASFAA says. There is much more to both Trump’s history and Biden’s plan moving forward. Both of their higher education plans can be found on the NASFAA site. By the end of November, Joe Biden was confirmed to be the future 46th president of the United States. The results were called by several news sources including the Associated Press, NBC, and Fox News. The Trump administration, however, fought these results by demanding recounts and threatening to sue several states with the claim of a lack of transparency and legality, says NPR. College students can greatly affect any election. In turn, any election can greatly affect college students. It is recommended that everyone do their own research, find unbiased news sources and exercise their right to vote when the time comes.
Khan Academy was created by experts who cover math K-12 and early college preparation as well. Grammar, science, history, AP and SAT are also covered in this online tool. Students can expect to see tangible benefits from using this resource. Its website reports that, “in a recent study, students were over twice as likely to meet grade-level standards with Khan Academy.” Remind is a free online application that was built to make it easier for educators to reach out to their students. If a professor already uses
Remind, downloading the app is highly recommended. During times where everything is online, it is easy to miss assignments and important announcements. Remind is a great way to make sure assignments are no longer being overlooked and that students don’t get behind in homework. Though virtual semesters may be unique challenges for campus students, especially with continued quarantine, there are resources to make it manageable. Students should take advantage of these services to complete their classes strong.
Online Tools Students Can Use to Become More Successful Elizabeth White Staff Writer
Because of the nationwide increase of remote learning in colleges and universities, students have had to adapt to learning from home. Students have found resources including Grammarly, Khan Academy and Remind. These programs all aim to assist students with struggles they may have academically and help them see greater success in their classes. Grammarly is an online tool that strengthens what we write, whether it be an email or a paper for school.
This tool supports clean and mistake-free writing. It also makes suggestions to the user that may make the writing much stronger and clearer. Their mission statement, “to improve lives by improving communication,” really summarizes how it helps students. Through assistance in emails and assignments, Grammarly helps students in many aspects of their academics. By setting up a free account, students can progress their everyday writing. Grammarly can also easily be added to web browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari
Online Tools graphic. (image source: RTG) and Microsoft Edge for free. Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization that provides free education for anyone
around the world. It allows students to learn and work at their own pace and enhance their understanding of a topic.
