As the presidential election draws near, people begin to pay more attention to the issues being debated: education, taxes, the environment, foreign policy, health care, and safety, just to name a few. If you were among the many students watching the first presidential debate last Tuesday, you would know that these were some of the issues discussed. Because these issues are pertinent in the election, it is important that we are educated about them. However, we must not overlook the issues that significantly affect us as college students. What plans do Bush and Gore have to help support our needs? We've heard time and time again about how they plan to improve education for K-12, both public and private institutions, and about how the candidates plan to support the senior citizens of our country, but what sort of plans do they have for college students?

Knowing which candidate is going to help make college tuition more affordable, as well as providing savings and loan options for undergraduate and graduate programs, is crucial. Not ten or five years down the road, but now, when students are struggling to pay off their semester tuition; paying off the loans will come later. In the U.S., your salary depends for the most part on how educated you are. Because of this, those that are willing to work hard should have the opportunity to attend an undergraduate institution, private or public.

Here's what Bush and Gore have in mind to do for college students:

George W. Bush wants tax relief for all Americans, including college students. His plan allows students to save up to $5000 per year, instead of the present $500, in Education Savings Accounts, tax-free. Opportunities for pre- paid tuition and savings plans where students and parents can invest tax-free are also included in Bush's plan. He also wants to increase funding for historically African-American and Hispanic colleges and universities. In regards to grants, Bush wants to create a $1.5 billion scholarship program for students who meet high school course requirements, he wants to increase first-year Pell Grants, which are presently $3,300, to $5, 100; and he hopes to provide extra $1,000 grants to students who take AP and college-level courses in high school.

Al Gore supports the proposed College Opportunity Tax Cut, which would allow students the choice between tax deduction or a 28 percent tax credit on up to $10,000 in tuition. Gore has proposed new accounts that allow individuals and their employers to put money away to save for job training, education and lifelong learning for themselves or family members, and to let those savings grow tax-free. Gore plans to install a National Tuition Savings plan to allow families to save for their children's college education inflation and tax free. He believes there needs to be more access to these programs, allowing every parent's savings to be used in any participating state, and he wants to encourage states that do not have the programs to create them.

These are just minimal examples of what Bush and Gore plan to offer to college students; however, it gives insight into what types of policies they hope to accomplish if they win the presidency.

Even if students claim they are not interested in politics or do not care to learn about the issues discussed in the presidential election, they should take into consideration how their vote could make a difference in financing their college education. What is more important to you: tax cuts, educational savings accounts, increased grants, loans, scholarship programs, personal or family savings? You decide.