Written by: Joe Zazo

Some University of Akron students feel that education plays an important role in the upcoming presidential election, while others are not so sure what either candidate has to offer.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 turned out to cast their ballots in the 2008 presidential election.

The student vote has become increasingly important for both candidates in this upcoming election, and issues such as the Federal Pell Grant Program have caught the attention of students on campus.

Kamaal Primm, a UA accounting student, said that Pell Grants enable some students to attend college.

“I have had someone tell me that they had to drop out of college because they lost their Pell Grant,” Primm said.

Primm believes that Pell Grants are important because they make it easier for students to achieve their goals through an education. He likes the idea that Obama looks to continue the increase of Pell Grants. He believes this will make a college education more of a reality for students who cannot afford it on their own.

Education is not as affordable for some students as it is for others. Primm said that students who do not have Pell Grants should be considerate when taking their stances on the issue.

Primm believes that Obama has improved the education system in America and will continue to do so.

“He reconstructed the school system, made it bigger, and more people have the opportunity to an education,” Primm said.

Some students are uncertain where the candidates stand on education, and are hesitant to trust what either has to say. Jacob Michney, a freshman at UA, said that he does not have the knowledge to determine what is true in either candidate.

“I think that they both lie, and I do not know what to believe,” he said.

This has undecided voters like Michney feeling frustrated, and discouraged from voting at all.

As far as Pell Grants, Michney said that the recipients should be individuals who have a high potential for academic success. He believes that low-income individuals should have the opportunity to receive an education, but also thinks of it as an investment in America.

Though there is a variety of views in this upcoming election, the future of education in America is something that will affect all students. Young Americans play a pivotal role in this election, and their vote is something that both candidates are competing for.