The national average price of gas is over $4 per gallon – nearly double February’s. Tennessee’s average cost is $3.85, and some MTSU students feel the strain as the rising costs threaten campus transportation and the aviation program.
The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East disrupted major oil production and imports. Dozens of cargo ships hauling crude oil remain in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
MTSU is a commuter campus, with over 80% of students driving to class each day. Many students travel at least 30 miles a day to get to campus, some driving as far as 65 miles.
Freshman Parker Klein said he drives about 60 miles a day, and his last tank cost $85. Another freshman, Ahmed Ahmed, travels 65 miles, and his last full tank cost him $42.
In addition to students experiencing the fallout of the gas crisis, on-campus transportation is also taking a hit. Tracy Read, director of MTSU’s Parking and Transportation Services, said the department is on track to go over budget this year.
“We haven’t gotten the bill that would reflect it yet, but it could cause us to go over our budget this year,” Read said. “And it probably will, our budget is pretty tight.”
Read said that students won’t see much of an impact to the bus system, but transportation services will need to adjust to budget more for the next fiscal year.
Freshmen Noah Reimmschiseo, Ahmed and Klein have concerns other than campus transportation: Will tuition for aviation majors increase for future pilots?
Klein broke down his own flying expenses. MTSU aviation majors don’t fly until year three in the program, with the exception of brief flying labs. Klein is getting a head start by taking flying lessons on his own in Atlanta.
Every weekend, Klein drives 216 miles to Atlanta to take flying lessons. His flight school charges students for the fuel that’s already in the airplane.
Klein said the program provides jets to students with fuel already in, but flying lessons cost anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. The cost to fly a plane ranges from $100 to $500.
“They are not going to be able to maintain profit, because they do this,” Klein said.
He said they were going to be spending so much money keeping the planes filled, that they’re not going to be making as much as the flight school is paying.
The cost of jet fuel inflated to $4.88 per gallon from $2.50 per gallon as reported on Feb. 27. The retail price of jet fuel is up to $7.50 a gallon from $6.50. Major airlines are reporting a fuel crisis with the rising costs, causing a shortage.
Some aviation students are concerned with potential tuition increases. In a 2023-2024 breakdown of fees for the aviation program, fuel is included and can cost anywhere from $250 to $650. The 2025-2026 term already saw a slight increase from previous records.
Ahmed said MTSU’s flight school charges by the hour for flight and fuel. Klein fears that current flyers may already be facing an increase, as both systems become more expensive.
Sidelines reached out to MTSU’s Aerospace department officials for comment, but received no reply.
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