An issue that confronts many students at USI and beyond is affording college tuition.

Many Indiana students may be unaware that the outcome of the upcoming Senatorial election will influence the affordability of higher education. The Democratic candidate Joe Donnelly has a long history of siding with educational policies favorable to college students, unlike his Republican opponent Mike Braun.

As a member of the United States Senate, Donnelly has voted in favor of funding Pell Grants for low-income students and supported a measure that would leave interest on student loans at 3.4 percent, only half of the rate hike under President Trump.

As a representative, he voted to invest $40 billion in the construction/renovation of environment-friendly schools and was a proponent of the American Competitiveness Scholarship Act which would grant large sums of federal aid to the Department of Education.

Donnelly’s position on education was summed up when he said, “Our ability to compete as a state, our ability to compete as a country, depends on our education level.”

Mike Braun, on the other hand, has no record of voting on educational matters during his time in the Indiana House of Representatives, but based on his other positions aligning so closely with Trump, it is safe to say he would be in favor of raising the interest rate on student loans in order to divert the federal funds to other areas.

Additionally, a key point of his platform is the reduction of government spending, which may include spending on education. This leads me to conclude that anyone with a vested interest in post-secondary education should be in favor of Joe Donnelly for the 2018 Senator position.

If you are concerned about student debt, do yourself and all other Indiana students a favor by casting your ballot in favor of a senator with your interests in mind, and vote for Joe Donnelly.