When Bernie Sanders was campaigning, he created a dream of free college that many young people latched onto. Die-hard Bernie fans still rallied around the idea after he lost the primaries, and lowering the cost of college became a part of both Clinton’s and Trump’s platforms. As a senior in high school, a cheaper price tag for my future schooling sounded pretty appealing.

Post-election, all the promises that our president-elect has made are up in the air, still to be seen if they will be fulfilled. Meanwhile, college acceptance anticipation have begun. Worries about how much money this school or that school will give consume seniors’ minds constantly. I have found the most worrying thing to any of my friends is accumulating the dreaded student loans that we’ve heard so many horror stories about. It’s concerning to see extremely smart people I know considering colleges that are low on the totem pole of prestige just because the school offered them a full ride, but it’s happened to me too; while a year ago I was set on going out of state for college, now I am highly considering the in-state school I got into not only because they have good programs for what I want to do but also because it’s much more practical. At an average price of $9,410 a year for in-state schools, it is much cheaper than going out of state and spending an average of $23,893 per year.

The price, however, is not what should make the decision. I’m lucky because the in-state school that has accepted me has a great program for what I want do with my life. Not everyone is this lucky, though. The anxiety that we’ll be living with our parents after college because of college debt does not foster an environment where students choose to go to their dream schools.

Whether you are a senior or a freshman, a parent or a teacher, the price of college will eventually affect you. Cheaper college would create more talk about the college that would be the best fit for what they’re interested in. If you care about the future of our country, keep the conversation alive about cheaper college and encourage your local politicians to do so as well. Not only will you be making less uncertainty for high schoolers, you will be advocating for the livelihood of young Americans and their ability to thrive independently with debt-free lives.