Students have many excuses for missing class.
“I was sick.”
“My car wouldn’t start.”
Now, with gas prices on the rise, teachers can expect a new one.
“I couldn’t afford the gas to make it to class.”
When gas prices topped $2 a gallon in the spring, one student found a lack of money to fill her tank an obstacle to making it to campus.
“I am a full-time student who works part-time,” said the 26-year-old who wished to remain anonymous. “Some days I just couldn’t make it — gas was too expensive.”
Some days turned into weeks and the senior music major ended up failing the class.
“I signed up for a class at the Collierville campus because I needed it to graduate,” she said. “If I had known gas would go up so high I would have waited.”
Now she has no choice but to wait. She has to take the class again.
As the fall 2005 semester begins, gas prices are at a U.S. average of more than 70 cents more per gallon over last fall’s prices. At some local stations, 87-octane gas costs as much as $2.62 a gallon.
For commuter students, this can become a problem.
A discussion with a group of commuter students revealed that many record between 50 and 130 miles one way to campus. With gas at $2.62 a gallon and the average miles per gallon for cars at 22, these students could end up paying as much as $15 per one-way trip to campus.
University of Memphis graduate student Webb Matthews said he traveled from his hometown of Denver to come to The U of M.
“I worked 34 years in a newsroom and decided to come back,” the 52-year-old history major said. “(The trip) to Memphis is 1,200 miles.”
Matthews said that during the trip he filled up three times at an average of $37 each. It’s no surprise he doesn’t plan to make the trip back to Denver many times this semester.
With prices rising almost daily, many students wonder about the reason for the jump.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a low supply and continuous high demand for gas along with crude oil prices heading toward $70 per barrel has consumers cringing at the pump. It is estimated that the national average of $2.62 a gallon could easily reach $3 by the end of the summer. With no government intervention in sight, commuting students will have to find ways to get around going broke for gas.
Joy Stout, director of Adult and Commuter Student Services (ACSS), said her office has considered the effect of gas prices on commuter students.
“I figured it would result in more students carpooling or looking to public transportation,” Stout said.
In fact, Stout has been in talks with MATA Bus officials about having bus passes available for sale to students on campus. Nothing has been approved yet, but Stout does have some tips for saving gas money.
“Students who have a long break between classes are invited to come to the ACSS office instead of driving back and forth,” she said.
ACSS has a lounge, computer room and television to help students pass time between classes.
“Also, timing out a bus schedule with your classes or getting with other students who live near you to carpool will help,” she added.
Other tips to help students save:
•Wreg.com offers the Gas Tracker link to find the lowest local gas prices sighted by viewers.
•Fuelgaugereport.com offers calculators to tally personal miles per gallon, estimated gas mileage for road trips and more.
•Kroger grocery stores offer a 10-cent per gallon discount on your next Kroger fuel service with a store purchase of $100 or more
•MATA Bus customer service will help you plan your trip. Contact 274-6282 or matatransit.com.
•Take advantage of the ACSS and contact them at 678-2995 to set-up carpooling opportunities with other commuter students.
