Inflation, Reproductive Rights, and Student Debt Forgiveness Driving Midterm Election Voting Decisions Among U.S. College Students

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Oct 27, 2022, 09:00 ET

77% of college students plan to vote in the midterm elections according to nationwide survey

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Course Hero, the popular learning platform used by a global community of students and educators, today released the results of a survey focused on the issues that will influence college students' voting decisions in the midterms.

"College students today just don't fit the old stereotype anymore. They are often the first in their family to go to college, and many are juggling caregiving, parenting, and working while learning," said Harriet Seitler, Executive Vice President of Course Hero. "This survey reflects the reality that a multitude of issues, from student debt to the economy and social justice, are weighing heavily on students. It tells us that they intend to make their voices heard in the midterm elections."

This midterm election marks the first time the majority of Gen Z, representing 20% of the US population, will be eligible to vote. According to recent estimates, that equates to more than 8 million young people who have become eligible to vote since the 2020 Presidential election, with millennials and Gen Z now making up more than half of the US population.

Top issues influencing college students' votes in the midterm elections

Inflation: 66% of college students surveyed say inflation will be a major influencing issue for their vote. Although inflation concerns were highest among Gen X students (69%), inflation ranked as a top issue for Gen Z (63%) and millennials (67%) voters, as well.
Cost of College: Nearly half of survey respondents across each age group indicated that the cost of college and student loans will influence their vote: Gen Z (43%), millennials (49%), and Gen X (46%).
Roe v. Wade: The overturning of Roe v. Wade will impact college students' votes in the midterms (46%), with Gen Z voters expressing the greatest concern across age groups (50%). Gen Z respondents indicated that the impact of Roe v. Wade will influence personal choices too, including who they will vote for (56%), their dating and sexual life (34%), and their state of residence (30%).
Student debt forgiveness: 43% of students surveyed view student debt forgiveness as a key voting issue in this election. Across total respondents, female students (48%) expressed greater concern about debt forgiveness than male (35%) students surveyed.

College issues influencing votes

When asked whether education or college-related issues would influence respondents' voting decisions, an even higher percentage of students (59%) indicated that the cost of college and student loans would influence their vote the most.
Gen Z respondents say school safety (48%), getting a job after college (45%), sexual assault in college (36%), and free speech and bias on campus (29%) will influence their vote.

Discover more findings from the Course Hero 2022 Midterm Voting Survey here.

Survey Methodology
Course Hero conducted an intercept survey on coursehero.com from September 23 to October 4, 2022. The results of the survey are based on the answers of 1,026 college students who self-identified as being eligible to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. The survey included male, female, and non-binary respondents aged 18+. Respondents were also distributed across generations: Gen Z (29%), Millennial (39%), Gen X (26%) and 58+ (5%).

About Course Hero
Course Hero is on a mission to help students graduate confident and prepared. The online learning platform now offers more than 100 million course-specific study resources created by and for students and educators, as well as 24/7 tutor help. More than 100,000 faculty across the U.S. and Canada use Course Hero to share their resources with the community, collaborate with other faculty, and hone new strategies for instruction. Every day, students, educators, and tutors on Course Hero help more than 20 million students make every study hour count.

SOURCE Course Hero