Oakland University students are big supporters of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential race, but other candidates still have time to steer opinion in their direction.

In a poll of 157 students, conducted by a Journalism 200 class before the winter break, nearly 36 percent said they would vote for the Vermont senator during Michigan’s March 8 primary. However, a slightly larger chunk of respondents, 38 percent, said they were still undecided.

The survey took place ahead of recent primaries and caucuses in several states, including the so-called Super Tuesday match ups. Sanders and Hilary Clinton have been battling it out for the Democratic nomination, while a shrinking field of candidates has jousted for the nod from Republicans.

Clinton received 5.1 percent of the total student vote in the poll, with eight saying they would pick the former Secretary of State vs. 56 students saying they prefer Sanders.

Donald Trump, taking 8.2 percent of the Oakland votes in the poll, was by far the most popular Republican. Of those surveyed, 26 percent identified with the GOP, while 38 percent said they lean Democrat — the remainder either listed an alternative party, or said they do not identify with either of the major political camps.

The average age of students polled was 20 years old. Nearly 70 percent say they absolutely plan to vote in November, while 20 percent said they will not vote and 10 percent said they haven’t made up their minds.

Students listed a wide range of concerns for candidates to consider. Topping the list: the high cost of going to college.

“Candidates should appeal to what college students worry about the most, which is how they will pay for tuition,” Shayla McCullough, a 20-year-old junior told Cortez Day, an Oakland University sophomore who is in the journalism class and was part of the polling team.

Kayla Akers, a 19-year-old freshman, said she leans Republican but is opting for a candidate on the other side of the aisle.

“Bernie Sanders has the right idea telling college students that he’ll fight to make college debt free,” Akers told Max Wolfe, a junior.

Other top concerns include the economy, immigration and national security, the future of America and universal health care. Some students said they would vote for a candidate just to stop the other party from winning.

For example, Stephanie Ashburn, a 27-year-old mathematics major, told Nicole Peseski she is voting “so that Trump doesn’t get elected.” Another student told Peseski “every candidate sucks,” but he still plans to vote for Trump.

Republicans Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio all attracted less than three percent support in the Oakland University poll. Responses were collected via email, paper surveys, in person or via other messaging services.

Not everyone is buying into Sanders’ promise of free tuition.

“Students should be worried about how all this ‘free’ stuff is going to be ‘free,’” Tyler Sirut, a 19-year-old sophomore and Trump supporter told Oakland sophomore Katie McBryar.

If the 70 percent of students who say they will vote actually cast ballots this year, Oakland University’s student voter turnout would be higher than the national average during the past two presidential election years.

In giving his reason for voting, Jake Raponotti, a sophomore majoring in communication, told Lauren Maternowski that “while I hate the system and know it needs to be fixed, I know I have to participate in order to help fix it.”

Some respondents were far more philosophical about their duty: “Evil can flourish when good men do nothing,” Jordan Beltramo, a senior, told Paul Coutilish. 

Others feel unprepared to participate.

“I do not know enough about the current presidential race,” Brandon Walker, a 21-year-old senior, told Kyle Curtis.

This could be a sign of efforts by Oakland University to open up more educational opportunities before next Tuesday’s primary, or before the November election.

A student asking to remain anonymous told Erika Ciesliga said “I don’t think I’ll be voting [because] I don’t really know anything about this election and I think it would be ignorant for me to vote for someone I know nothing about.”