Every Tuesday and Thursday, Merecedes Narvaez makes her way to Sam Houston State University. As a commuter from the Woodlands, she drives between 30 minutes to an hour each trip to and from campus.
Normally, that would cost Narvaez about $35 a week, but with the rising costs of gas, she says it now takes nearly $50 to fill her tank. This increase of roughly 43% adds on an extra $60 in expenses each month.
Tuition prices usually take center stage in education costs, but travel expenses, especially in a city with a lack of access to public transportation options, are often overlooked.
This surge stems from the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which has resulted in a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key sea route for moving natural oil and gas products.
According to AAA fuel pricing data, crude oil prices have risen anywhere from 33%-39% per barrel in some regions, a spike that has not been seen since 2022, they reported.
Similarly, the International Energy Agency stated that this is “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.”
The New York Times reported that the costs are the result of the traffic disruption, causing consumers to panic buy and hoard resources due to a fear of product scarcity.
Fidel Gonzalez, an economics professor at SHSU, explained that these rises impact consumers from every side of the situation, not just filling up at the pump. He said that oil is a complicated commodity as it does not have a sufficient substitute.
“We use a lot of oil in a lot of different products, so it affects consumers directly,” Gonzalez said. He listed items such as plastics, jet fuel, medical devices, and fertilizer all being derived from oil, and said that when its price increases, all these things increase in price as well, resulting in higher grocery, travel and health costs.
Students are heavily affected by these conditions, as many already rely on resources like campus clinics and food pantries to meet their needs. But a lack of transportation resources has caused some to feel they need to choose between health, education, and their social life.
Elizabeth Galloway, a junior at SHSU, spoke about how her family in Waco has been looking for deals and using rewards programs, such as Kroger’s fuel point system, to save money on gas.
Being able to travel is essential to Galloway because she has to attend physical therapy to treat a previous injury. It’s been difficult as she uses a full tank for the trips, costing her $53 each time she travels.
“I’m annoyed that so much of it has to go to gas, but I know it’s a necessary expense so I can stay in contact with the people I love, and most importantly, make it to doctor’s appointments,” she said.
Narvaez expressed her concerns about the prices affecting her attendance. She said that she often contemplated staying home to save fuel, but that it is not a possibility for her.
“It’s a lot, I can’t just not come. We’re at the end of the semester and I need to be here, I feel like I don’t have choices, I don’t have a say,” she said
Gonzalez, who also coordinates SHSU’s study abroad trip to Barcelona, said that he has had some students drop out of the trip and assumes it is a result of the ticket pricing.
“I even moved the date so tickets would be cheaper; over 40% of my ticket price was fuel surge fees,” se said, adding that he had never seen this before.
Although a fragile ceasefire is in place, President Donald Trump told Americans to expect gas prices to stay high “for a little while,” at a White House event on April 23rd, insinuating that these strains will continue, open fire or not.
“Hopefully, somebody at the university can see this. We can provide a way to shield students from these price surges.” Gonzalez said
