How far would you go for your classes?

As gasoline prices increase, students’ driving habits are starting to come into play.

For Danny Schneider, a Lawrence native who is a senior at Kansas State University, his desire to save money on gas led him to change where he took his summer class.

“My plan was to take a class this summer at KU, figuring it would be nice to only have to drive like two miles to campus,” he said. “And it would probably still be cheaper to take it at KU than at Johnson County Community College.”

However, the microbiology course he wanted to take was only being taught at the Edwards Campus. Upon further investigation, Schneider said he discovered it would simply be cheaper to take the class at JCCC and take the Lawrence-Johnson County K-10 commuter bus.

Schneider is just one of many students who has been forced by rising gas prices to alter summer school plans.

“Because of rising gas prices, I have started riding the JC bus to class every day,” he said. “As the summer has progressed, I’ve noticed more people ditching their cars and riding the bus.”

Rising gas prices may also be affecting the number of students who take online courses through KU.

Jean Yoo, with KU’s independent study program, said that while it would be impossible to definitively say that rising gas prices were the root cause, the school has seen a steady increase in online enrollment.

Jim Peters, director of program coordination for continuing education, said that although his department didn’t ask students if gas prices were a contributing factor in taking online courses, it was entirely possible.

“I think we’ll actually start asking that now,” he said. “It could be another way for us to market our programs.”