Nov 01, 2016 05:11 AM EDT By Julia Ramirez, UniversityHerald Reporter

Senatorial candidates Ted Strickland and Rob Portman have contrasting views on education. Strickland supports education as he was the first in his family to finish college. He also believes that the United States must find funding to support this level of education as it gets to be more costly.

Strickland asserts that while he was governor, he stopped college tuition and provided free tuition for veterans. However, attending college does not only mean tuition as there are other needs that have to be financed so to continue their education. He envisions a college that is debt-free, provides employment among students to refinance loans, and supports internships and programs like Perkins Loans and Pell Grants that makes college education more affordable, as reported by The News Messenger.

Rob Portman has a contradictory stand when it comes to education, as he supports student loan repayment programs' consolidation and providing lendees an option between an income-driven repayment plan or fixed repayment schedule. There is a similarity between the two choices, but given the past voting history of Portman where he supports private vouchers for students who go to private colleges instead to public institutions, this scheme could have been properly used and directed towards public schools.

Those who belong to the middle-class group would benefit more from the proposals of Ted Strickland compared with that of Rob Portman's. However, as these individuals obtain their degree and eventually found jobs, they will have to see that a bulk of their monthly salary goes to their student debts. Students face this great issue with their astronomical debt-to-income ration. This lowers their credit rating and makes it difficult for these individuals to obtain financing for transportation or housing.

Many who are in this dire situation are expecting another free ride. However, not most who are in this situation will take advantage of it. There are those who continue their education because they want themselves to be globally competitive and make a difference in their local communities.

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