Sleeping in her car? Well, that's one way Nicholls students are coping with high gas costs

As gas prices started taking off a few weeks ago, Nicholls State University student Cyra Howard-Green decided drastic times call for drastic measures.

“I've slept in my car near campus a few times just so I can be here in the morning," said Howard-Green, who commutes between her home in Morgan City and the Thibodaux campus five days a week.

Driving a 2009 Kia Rio, the junior spends about $30 to $40 for a full tank of gas.

“I go through a tank of gas twice a week, and that adds up, so sometimes I can only afford to put $5 to $10 at a time," she said.

She is not alone.

About 80% of Nicholls' roughly 6,500 students commute to and from campus for class, according to the university.

Gas prices rose 18.3% from February to March, federal figures show. A gallon of regular cost an average $4.33 last month across the U.S. and $3.96 in the Houma-Thibodaux area, according to GasBuddy.

At least part of the increase resulted from sanctions that blocked Russian oil from reaching markets after the country's invasion of Ukraine. Oil industry advocates have also blamed Biden administration policies they see as hostile for some of the price increase, though federal officials have disputed the claims.

Average prices have since slid to about $4.06 nationally and $3.84 locally, GasBuddy reported Monday.

But the U.S. average is still up $1.21 a gallon, or 42%, compared to the same time last year. Locally, it's up $1.38 a gallon, or 56%, since last year.

For a college student, or anyone who commutes regularly, that extra money adds up quickly.

Take that 2009 Kia Rio Howard-Green drives. It gets about 30 miles per gallon for a combination of city and highway driving. At today's gas prices, her 60-mile round trip between Morgan City and Nicholls costs about $7.68 a day.

Her weekly cost – five days to and from campus – is down slightly from last month. But it has risen by $13.80 since the same time last year, up from $24.60 then to $38.40 now. Gas for a 16-week semester will cost her about $614, an increase of $220 from last year.

And that's for a 2009 Kia Rio that gets 30 mpg. Drive an SUV – a 2019 Chevy Tahoe, for instance, gets 17 mpg for combined city-highway driving – and your gas costs will be nearly double those of the Kia.

Nicholls senior Brice Solet said he has felt the impact.

“When gas prices were like a $1.60 to $1.70, I could walk into the gas station on empty, give them a $20 and call it a day," he said.

Solet, who drives a 2015 Honda Civic, now spends about $40 to fill up his tank. Solet commutes from Houma to Nicholls, however his drive to and from Baton Rouge to work puts a strain on his spending. He fills his gas tank about every 10 days.

Nicholls senior Heather Frentz commutes between Morgan City and the Thibodaux campus twice a week. Being a mom and working a full-time job, Frentz travels back and forth constantly.

“From $50 a week to $120 a week for gas, it is seriously hurting my budget," Frentz said.

Frentz now spends $400 a month on gas, which she said affects buying groceries, clothing and other basic needs.

"Gasoline is a basic need so you’re going to buy it regardless," she said.

Gas prices have also affected students' travel plans.

Howard-Greene plans to spend her 21st birthday in Las Vegas but with some sacrifices.

“I had a few other trips planned for the summer but now I have had to cancel them," she said.

Solet recently took a trip to Dallas, spending $200 to drive there and back.

“I probably won’t be going anywhere outside a 400-mile radius for spring break," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Nicholls students feel the pinch from high gas prices, sleep in car