High Gas Prices Push More Students to Online Classes

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

College students are giving online courses a second look.  It's not just because of flexibility - but with gas prices at $4 a gallon and up, it's about fuel.

"Historically our students have said that some of the biggest motivators for taking online courses are the convenience and time savings involved in not having to drive. While there is no direct evidence, I imagine gas prices are a similar motivator," says Robert Tolsma, assistant vice chancellor, Academic Technology & Extended Learning at the University of Colorado in Denver.

Fall enrollments are trending up 15-20 percent and the school's wait list for high demand online classes is up over 50 percent says Tolsma.

Taking online classes can reduce the total costs of higher education, particularly for commuting students, says Burck Smith, CEO of StraighterLine, a division of Smarthinking, an academic support company. Gas for going back and forth to campus can be a significant burden for some students.

In fact, a recent Poll of the Week by Victoria College in Victoria, Texas asked how higher gas prices were effecting students. The numbers were revealing: 41 percent said they were taking more online classes; nearly 20 percent said they would have to take a break from college, and some 13 percent said they were taking fewer classes due to higher gas prices.

Across the country, many colleges, large and small, are reporting an increase in demand for online classes.  "The gas thing is giving students a shock in the gut," says Sean O'Donnell, director of Distance Education and Villanova University College of Engineering, "Enrollment for our summer online classes jumped 40 percent this year over last summer. We've been wondering what would be the catalyst to move more people online, it might be gas prices," he adds.

In a recent focus group of 40 current and former students of the University of Maryland University College, several comments were made about the rising cost of gas in relation to the benefits of online education, says Javier Miyares, vice president for Institutional Planning, Research and Accountability. "Enrollment of online classes increased 5 percent over last summer. We believe high gas prices are a contributing factor," he adds.

Similarly, this summer there was an up tick in interest in online classes, says Cyndie Shadow, campus director of the University of Phoenix's Washington, D.C. campus. "Online learning allows students to take advantage of the time that they have available in a day rather than a specified block of time when a face-to-face course is scheduled. I've heard from students that the bonus of having lower transportation costs makes studying online even more attractive," she adds.

Some of the biggest increases are at community colleges where many students are commuters and have families and may be less able to handle the increase in gas prices. But while online classes can help alleviate some of the pain at the gas pump, it's not a panacea.

"Students taking online courses need to take greater ownership of their studying and time management," says Smith. "If a student is not proactive in identifying times and places where he or she will study, they may not be as successful in an online environment," he adds.

Personal networks in online environments may not be as strong as in a face-to-face environment. Sometimes, online courses assess additional fees above and beyond standard tuition and fees which could counteract the savings from reducing transportation costs, says Smith.

Students can make the mistake of thinking that they won't have to invest the time they would for a traditional course and then wind up with a lower grade, explains, says Tom Finaly, vice president of administration for TUI University, an online university in Cypress, California. "Students might also find that they don't like the online format and lose a semester," he adds.

But mostly, say experts, the movement online is likely to be good for students. O'Donnell certainly thinks so. "I can't think of many cons, it's not like they're getting any lesser education. Online is an equally good way of learning. We may see the day where this will be the preferred form of education."