Student Voting Guide
Learn how to register in your state, get involved in issues that matter, and get out the vote in 2022.
Student Voter Basics
BestColleges Student Voting Toolkit
BestColleges is proud to partner with VoteAmerica to help drive the student vote in 2022. VoteAmerica is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers underrepresented populations to exercise their right to vote. Visit our Student Voting Resources page to access more voter registration information, and register to vote using our Voting by State page.
Student Voter Issues
These Higher Ed Policy Issues Will Define 2022
Here are four policy discussions that will impact higher education – and maybe control of Congress – in 2022.
College Affordability, Student Debt Forgiveness Top Priorities for Black Voters
A recent poll found that Black Americans are concerned about college affordability, support for HBCUs, and student debt forgiveness heading into the 2022 midterm elections.
How Will College Students Vote in 2022?
As if democracy depends on it, according to the latest Harvard Youth poll. Here’s what recent polls reveal about how college students will vote in the 2022 midterm elections.
How Climate Change Impacts Higher Education
In anticipation of how climate change will reshape our world, colleges are reshaping curricula around climate literacy.
What’s Next for the Free Community College Movement?
President Joe Biden campaigned on the promise of free community college for all, but the policy was cut from Build Back Better and now appears dead in Congress.
The 8 Voter Issues At Stake for Young Women in 2022
Women have outnumbered men in recent midterm elections. If this pattern continues, women may determine 2022 midterm election outcomes.
How Voter Suppression Impacts Black Students
The history of voter suppression has had an enduring impact on the Black community. Learn how it impacts Black students and why Black voter participation is important.
The Racial Wealth Gap and Higher Education Explained
For many Black and Latino/Hispanic families, higher education isn’t the economic silver bullet guaranteed to deliver the American Dream.
These Higher Ed Policies Could Help Close the Racial Wealth Gap
With 469 Congressional seats up for election in November, college students can have a say in how critical issues continue to play out on their campuses and across the nation.
Should College Be Free?
Free college has been a progressive rallying cry for years, but solid plans have failed to materialize and some economists say free college wouldn't benefit those most in need.
Will Student Debt Cancellation Happen Under Biden?
As midterm elections approach, student debt advocates and progressive politicians continue to press the president to cancel student loans for millions of Americans.
5 Reasons Why the Midterm Election Will Be Important for College Women
The 2022 midterm elections will have a direct impact on college women. Learn about the top political issues college women care about.
3 Tips for Overcoming Student Voting Barriers
Millennials and Gen Zers represent the largest share of eligible voters in 2020. But college-aged voters often face steep hurdles getting to the polls.
State Voting Laws Block Out-of-State Students
Some states make registering to vote very tricky for college students away from home. Experts say blocking student votes can greatly impact election results.
Voter Guides by Student Population
Policy Worth Following in 2022
Biden Confirms He’s Considering Student Debt Cancellation
The amount of federal student debt he’s considering canceling is less than the $50,000 per borrower called for by top Senate Democrats.
State Proposals Limit Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Training at Public Colleges
While the bills in Kentucky and Indiana didn’t pass, experts say they could portend future legislative efforts to extend “Don’t Say Gay” laws to higher education.
New State Laws Target Critical Race Theory in Higher Ed
Policy discussions about CRT centered on K-12 education last year, but are increasingly targeting colleges and universities in 2022.
Biden Plan Would Make Discharged Student Debt Tax-Exempt
The IRS taxes discharged student debt. The American Rescue Plan temporarily halted those taxes, and the president's 2023 budget would make all federal loan forgiveness tax-free in perpetuity.
Legislation Would Pump $771M Into Community College Workforce Training
Rep. Robert Scott, chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, aims to increase investment in community college workforce training programs.
Biden Extends Pause on Federal Student Loan Payments Through August
Payments and interest accrual were suspended at the start of the pandemic. Biden said an extension is needed to prevent "significant economic hardship."
Here’s How Biden Could Double Pell Grant Financial Aid for College Students
The president’s new budget proposes doubling the maximum Pell Grant award by 2029, but experts say it may be a difficult goal to achieve in that timeframe.
Biden’s Budget Would Boost Federal Financial Aid, HBCU Funding
The president's proposed 2023 budget calls for increasing Pell Grants for college students by more than 25% next year and doubling the award by 2029.
Congress Moves to Make College Textbooks More Affordable
The omnibus spending bill increases funding for the Open Textbooks Pilot program, and Democrats introduced a bill that would make many textbooks free.
House Puts Pell Grant Expansion in America COMPETES Act
An amendment by Democratic Rep. Andy Levin would expand Pell Grant eligibility to students in qualifying career-training programs.
College Transparency Act Inches Closer to Passing
The policy would give college applicants more robust data about post-graduation outcomes from different schools, including graduates' average starting salaries.
Democrats Propose Bill to End Legacy Admissions
The Fair College Admissions for Students Act would bar colleges that receive federal aid from giving admissions preference to legacy applicants.
Proposed Bill Would Increase Public Transit Options for College Students
Grants would help provide transportation solutions to colleges that serve historically excluded student populations.
Proposed Income-Driven Repayment Waiver Could Grant Debt Forgiveness to Millions
The proposal submitted to the Department of Education would retroactively count all time under an IDR plan toward forgiveness, even months under default or in forbearance.
Recommended DACA Rules Provide ‘Certainty’ for Dreamers in College
Higher ed advocacy groups want to extend federal financial aid to DACA recipients and adopt definitions included in the Dream Act of 2021.
Bill Would Extend SNAP to College Students, Fight Food Insecurity
The College Student Hunger Act would allow nearly 7 million Pell Grant recipients to be eligible for SNAP benefits.
Student Political Activism
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