One of the biggest rights and duties being an American citizen is being able to vote. Sure, everyone has probably had this ingrained in them from parents and teachers and other influential adults in their lives since they were kids, but it seems that nowadays as kids are becoming old enough to vote, they just aren't. According to the United States Census, in the 2012 election only 38 percent of college-aged voters went out to vote. It has been reiterated over and over by the young adults in that age bracket that they are tired of the same "old people" running the country and making decisions for them, but yet barely any of them are doing anything about it. For those who are getting out there an participating in voting, they are very passionate about what they believe in. Those are the young adults that can motivate others in their age group to get out there and vote.

One way to encourage them to vote is by talking about the issues that are most important to them. While all political issues should be important to the people they are effecting, there is no doubting that everyone has issues that matter more to them. Here are some of the most talked about issues by college aged students.

1. Tuition

There is no doubt that the cost of attending college in this country is astronomical and for a lot of students, their loans are the first experience they have with dealing with money in the real world and it is a scary experience. Most students are going into class their first semester of freshman year already worrying about how they will be able to pay for it all. This is why it is such an important issue to them. Lots of people believe that public institutions should have free education, like public elementary, middle and high schools are, but it is important to think about the fact that the money has to come from somewhere. What would free college mean for the tax payers of America? Would the quality of education decrease without tuition? Maybe instead of getting rid of tuition as a whole, it should be made easier to receive and pay back loans. No matter what your stance is on the issue, it is on the forefront of most students' minds.

2. Jobs

The issues of tuition and jobs go hand in hand with each other, so it makes sense that if one is important, the other should be as well. With the way student loans are set up right now, you are not required to start paying them back until you have been graduated from college for six months. While the time between graduating and the payments starting is nice, in today's economy, there is no guarantee that recent graduates will have a job in that time. This means that job availability is a very important issue.

3. Health Care

For college students, almost everything comes right down to money. Due to this, it is very common that they will be all for getting things for cheaper than they are now. Health care is one of these things. Just like with paying off student loans, students are afraid of having to pay for health care with their entry level jobs, if they even do get jobs. College students have also grown up in an age where affordable health care has been a hot issue but has had a lot of flaws and set backs, so this is the generation that will hopefully help install a more efficient system.

4. LGBTQ Issues

There is no doubt that social issues are always something younger generations are most vocal about even if it is not in a political stance. Even though gay marriage has been legalized in all fifty states, many people believe that this is only the beginning of fighting for LGBTQ equality. The college students today, whether they are part of the LGBTQ community or allies, are extremely outspoken about the change they want to see and it is something they will definitely look to see what all of the candidates stances are on these issues before deciding who to vote for.

5. Racial Issues

Thanks to the media and the Internet, problems that happen in small towns can be national and international news in a matter of hours. This means that every time there is some sort of injustice, everyone with a Facebook and Twitter account has an opinion about it to broadcast to the world. Since this generation grew up the most with these outlets, they are the most outspoken. Your stance on the matter is not the point here though, the fact that you have one is. The things students are talking about on social media -- like today's racial issues -- are going to be the things they care the most about in the upcoming elections.

These are, of course, only a few of the political issues being talked about in this upcoming election and maybe the parents of the students think their kids should be worried about other things, but it is important for them to have their own thoughts. It is the only real way to affect change in this country in the future.