Commuting to campus might not be much cheaper than living on-campus in a dorm. Although commuters might save money on housing, if they choose to drive to campus, a lot of that saved money goes toward gas.

On top of gas expenses, commuter students often invest in parking passes. Larry Emling, manager of parking services, said the most common parking passes cost $200 for an academic year.

One of the most expensive commutes students make is from Akron to Kent, which costs about $17.50 per week using an economy-sized car with gas costing $3.76 per gallon.

Grace Porter, senior early childhood education major, said she has commuted from Akron to Kent all four years of college. Porter said because she pays for her own tuition, she chose to live with her mom in Akron and commute.

Porter said she tends to fill up her car’s tank twice a week, putting in a little less than $40 worth of gas each time.

“I work, and all the money I make either goes to loan payments or gasoline,” Porter said. “I can’t wait to graduate.”

Cassidy Roth, sophomore early childhood education major, said she also commutes from Akron to Kent and lives at home to save money on rent or room and board. Roth said she spends an average of $50 to $60 on gas per week.

“The only problem I have with commuting is Kent’s parking services,” Roth said. “I think that they are very strict and should ease up on their regulations for commuter students.”

Megan Miller, senior psychology major, makes her commute from Alliance to Kent. She said she comes to Kent’s campus for class three days a week, and she commutes so she can live in her hometown where her job is based.

Miller said she recently purchased a fuel-efficient Honda to help save money on commuting costs. With her new car, Miller said she typically spends only $15 to $25 on gasoline per week. Prior to her purchase, she said she drove a Jeep, which cost her around $50 a week in gas.

When Miller is not in class, she said she spends the majority of her time at work, and a lot of the money she spends is on gas costs. In addition to the gas costs, she spends money on parking tickets, parking meters and eating on campus.

“It’s frustrating,” Miller said. “I have so many parking tickets from meters expiring while I’m in class. Eating on campus is also another expense. I don’t have a meal plan, so little things like eating are more expensive on campus when they’re not all clumped together.”

From gasoline to parking meters and everything in-between, commuter students pay a significant price to make it to class every day. These numbers might not equate to the exact costs each week, as gas prices change, but it does give an estimate of how much simply driving to and from class costs commuter students.

Contact Arielle Campanalie at [email protected].