Higher gas prices spur college students, officials to scramble - David Robinson, Morning Sentinal

At the University of Maine in Augusta, officials are bracing for a drop in fall enrollment because some students can’t afford the commute, according to Jonathan Henry, dean of enrollment services. “We’re more concerned about fall, as the gas prices spike through the fall it may impact people’s decisions to enroll,” he said. One student at UMA, Mike Zulu, is worried skyrocketing gas prices may soon make it tough to finish his college education without going deeper into debt. He drives nearly 20 miles from Whitefield to get to class. It costs about $40 a week in gas for the commute and it’s already stretching his budget, Zulu, 22, said. “With the gas prices rising, if you want to get books all the extra money you had for that is going to gas,” he said. “You either have to take out more loans or sacrifice having a book for a semester.”