By: Nicole Yunda
Dominican commuter students are cutting back on other necessities to afford fuel as gas prices rise steadily higher.
“Filling up my gas tank costs about $50 compared to around $40 a year ago, which means I’ve had to cut back on spending on food, coffee, and other necessities,” said Lester Quinn, who has a 40-minute commute from the northwest suburbs.
Gas prices spiked after President Trump’s attack on Iran this past spring and have stayed high. Average prices in Chicagoland topped $5 a gallon in recent weeks.
Karina Diaz commutes from Melrose Park, about three miles each way, and drives a V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Even the short commute gets expensive. Her partner helps her by swapping cars or driving her to campus.
“I waste about $50 per week, which is about half of a tank,” Karina said,
To cut expenses, she now shops at Aldi instead of Whole Foods and fills up her tank early to avoid high costs. Public transportation is another backup option, but she has not used it.
Upgrading her car from a Toyota Corolla to a Jeep Grand Cherokee pushed the cost of a full tank from $45 to $100 today.
Another University Commuter, Kelly Burbano, travels 6.8 miles from Portage Park to campus. Her commute usually takes 30 minutes, but it can take up to an hour during bad weather.
Kelly spends about $50 on gas, compared to $30 to $40 a year ago.
“I only drive on certain days. After the gas prices went up, that was my cut, so to speak, and I tried to take the bus,” Kelly said.
She takes public transportation more frequently to save money. However, taking the bus means that she arrives home late, which makes it harder to balance homework, caretaking, and her job. Her mother also helps by picking her up from school when she needs it.
While Kelly and Karina can turn to public transportation or get help from their family members to manage their travel costs, Dominican University’s support system remains limited. According to Lester Quinn from Student Involvement, Dominican University does not offer any direct financial assistance or gas allowances for commuters.
SGA President Rawan Almoaiber mentioned that the student government hasn’t made any official plans or tracked gas costs yet after their first meeting.
“As of right now, SGA doesn’t have anything to comment on this, as we just had our first meeting this past Monday,” Almoaiber said, mentioning that commuter costs could be discussed at an upcoming Senate meeting.
According to The Dominican Star, the Office of Student Involvement’s “DU BeInvolved” has launched to replace EngageDU, using rewards to keep commuter students connected to campus life.
However, the Commuter Student Association (CSA) remains active on campus, hosting programs and events to help off-campus students build community, even though they can’t assist with transportation costs. Students seeking information on parking permits, regulations, or parking services are directed to Campus Safety and Security.
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