As gas prices increase, students face harder choices with limited finances, forcing them to cut spending on entertainment, food, or even personal items just to afford driving. These rising transportation costs are also limiting students’ ability to save money, leaving them stressed and budget-conscious.

In addition to limiting his savings, sophomore Sammy Cooper had to pull from his savings one morning just to get to school. He stated, “I have a weekly spending amount that I take out of my paycheck just to spend on my own stuff, and I’ve run out of money to spend because of how expensive fuel is.”

Unlike adults with established careers, most students work part-time, minimum-wage jobs, or rely on modest allowances, although many may not have the privilege of one. When the cost of a full tank jumps from an extra $10 to an extra $20 in a single month, it doesn’t just inconvenience a student; it takes a massive bite out of their entire paycheck.

Not everyone lives within 10 to 15 minutes of the school; students, like junior Emma Fleming, live 45 minutes away by car, and some teachers live even farther. Rising costs are forcing tough decisions, including debating whether to stay at school for hours between classes, participate in extracurricular activities, or attend events simply because it’s too expensive to drive back and forth.

With gas costing $5 per gallon for diesel and $4 per gallon for regular, students can no longer afford to participate in after-school activities because of the amount of driving they have to do to get from place to place, and they can’t simply “stop driving.” Their schedules are dictated by school hours and practice times, leaving little to no room for flexibility.

It is unfair that these rising costs are pricing some students out of extracurriculars, creating a divide in which only those who can afford gas can stay involved. It leaves students no choice but to pay what feels like a “student tax” at the pump just to participate in school life.