Candidates’ stances on issues college students care about
Compiled by Alejandra Smith
Staff Writer
Democratic Party
President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
College/Loans: Student loan forgiveness
Healthcare: Lower the cost of healthcare; Affordable Care Act
Gun Control: Ban the sale of assault weapons; required background checks; supports red flag laws.
Immigration: Increase refugee admissions; supports citizenship for undocumented workers in the US.
Economic Improvement: Increase taxes on the wealthy; “Bidenomics”
Israel-Palestine: “We stand firmly with the Israeli people as they defend themselves against the murderous nihilism of Hamas,” Biden wrote in an op-ed.
US Rep. Dean Phillips
Dean Phillips
College/Loans: Lower the cost of higher education
Healthcare: Free universal healthcare; end medication price-gouging
Gun Control: Ban the sale of assault weapons
Immigration: Enhanced border security; naturalization for undocumented people living in America; make the citizenship process easier
Economic Improvement: Higher wages for workers; lower food, fuel and childcare costs; strengthen Social Security
Israel-Palestine: “There needs to be a cease-fire, and Hamas has to be eliminated,” Phillips said in an interview on NewsNation.
Republican Party
Former President Donald Trump
Donald Trump
College/Loans: Opposes student loan forgiveness, but proposed ending subsidized loans and reducing number of loan repayment plans.
Healthcare: Expand healthcare choice, transparency and affordability; eliminated Obamacare.
Gun Control: Does not support gun restrictions.
Immigration: Reinstate immigration policies from first presidential term; end birthright citizenship for undocumented people; eliminate asylum fraud
Economic Improvement: Tackle inflation through “energy independence”; lower the interest rate; tax relief for the middle class
Israel-Palestine: “There was no bigger advocate and defender of Israel than President Trump,” said Trump’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
Former US Ambassador Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley
College/Loans: Opposes student loan forgiveness, but suggested halting accruing interest on loans until a student has finished their schooling.
Healthcare: Lower the cost of healthcare; expand medicare advantage plans
Gun Control: Does not support gun restrictions; expand concealed carry rights
Immigration: Deport undocumented immigrants; end birthright citizenship for undocumented people; reinstate “Remain in Mexico” policy
Economic Improvement: Tax relief for middle-class families; eliminate the federal gas and diesel tax;
Israel-Palestine: “There should be no cease-fire. There should be peace that comes from Israel’s total victory over Hamas,” Haley said in a post on X.
See the Voice’s voter registration guide for an election timeline and polling place information.
These candidates have ended or suspended their campaigns, but may still appear on the ballot:
Marianne Williamson: Democrat
Chris Christie: Republican
Ron DeSantis: Republican
Asa Hutchinson: Republican
Vivek Ramaswamy: Republican
In most cases, absentee voters have the option to change or spoil their vote if a candidate drops out of the race.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that a statement on Trump’s stance on Israel-Palestine came from his campaign spokesperson.
