By Sarah Hughes

News Editor

Someone only has to Google search “gasoline prices” to find a litany of information about gas prices changing and where to get “cheap” gas.

For commuters at CSUSM, the costs to get to class are heavily affected by the price of parking, using a car and buying gasoline.

According to a Wells Fargo article, entitled “How much will my other college expenses cost?” the average annual cost for transportation is $1,073 for “vehicle fees, parking, gas, maintenance and travel costs.”

The CSUSM 2013 Cougar Stats lists full-time, in-state undergraduate expenses for 2012 to 2013 as $1,170 for the undergraduate with parents or relatives and $1,316 for the undergraduate on or off campus.

According to Google maps, this commuter’s distance to campus is 20.0 miles one way. With classes four days a week, this adds up to 160 miles per week from and to class in the Spring 2014 semester. In the week of March 8 to 15, $54.55 was spent on gasoline for school and other purposes.

There are other options for how one commutes that can lower transportation costs.

“Parking and Commuter Services is aware of the concern over congested freeways, air pollution and the rising cost of fuel, that is why we encourage the use of alternate modes of transportation. Alternate modes of transportation (bicycling, walking, carpooling, van pooling, and public transportation) are environmentally friendly and effective ways of reaching campus from your home,” said www.csusm.edu/parking/commuter.

Carpooling, ridematch, the Breeze bus service, the Sprinter train service, the campus shuttle, bike to campus, vanpool, guaranteed ride home and links to other commuter pages are all resources the CSUSM Commuter Program provides information on. Some of these resources may be available to bring down CSUSM commuter costs.

Each individual commuter has a different distance from school, as well as different obligations such as work, extracurricular activities, childcare and other activities. If you would like to share about your commute or your milage please email [email protected].