Rock the vote...don't tip the vote over!

Let me begin by saying that it's amazing, the changes that I've undergone in such a relatively short period of time. Around this time last year I was a senior in high school and to be frank, I couldn't care less about politics. I've matured in ways that have come as a surprise to me. Who would've thought that at the young age of 20 [recently turned] I'd be worrying about political issues...not me that's for sure! As I begin to write this i realize that I look at embarking on my first vote as a right of passage. I begin to think that by voting for the first time it'll be like earning a place in this world that I live in, I will be participating in creating a better living for myself and those around me. I know it sounds corny but that's how I feel.

Anyways, with that out of the way there's just one thing that I want to say: OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!! lol I know you've all heard this from time and time again but it's definitely time for a change, not just physically but in general. Particularly there is one issue that is very close to me as a college student and that's the issue on higher education and how high college costs are nowadays for college students. In the last five years college costs have grown nearly 40 percent. First of all, how are we expected to go to college and make something of ourselves when we can't even afford it! This issue directly affects me because i'm currently a college student who has to make ends meet because i can barely afford school. That is why Obama plans to create the American Opportunity Tax credit. What this is is a fully refundable tax credit for college students that ensures the first $4,000 of your college education free and it'll cover two thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. This proposal will definitely alleviate some of the financial headaches that college debt leaves us with. In addition to this, Obama will also minimize the difficulty of applying for financial aid by eliminating the FAFSA form and simply creating a box that you can check if you wish to apply for financial aid. By checking the box you're simply authorizing them to use your tax returns as reference. He also plans on increasing the Pell Grant through out the next couple of years for low income students. I believe in Obama's honesty when he says that he plans to make a change.