Lily Huynh/ The Cougar
Rising gas prices linked to the Iran war are placing a financial burden on the commuter population at UH.
“I went from paying maybe around $20, $25 for a whole tank, and I paid $40 this morning,” said liberal studies freshman Emerson Curran. “That’s a big difference. It’s really bad.”
Curran is among the 85% of the undergraduate student population at UH who are considered commuters: students who live off-campus and must utilize various means of transportation to get to class.
For the past month, commuters have been affected by gas prices that are roughly a dollar more per gallon than they used to be. In Houston, the average price of a gallon in March 2026 was $3.70 compared to $2.814 in March 2025.
“I definitely have to be more careful about spending money or food or buying stuff just because I do have to get to school,” Curran said. “I’m taking all in-person classes, so I have to be more wise with my financial decisions.”
Curran, whose commute takes roughly 35 minutes, no longer buys breakfast on the way to class, instead opting to cook at home. She works part-time to pay her own tuition and says that gas prices are now posing a financial burden.
“I was already setting aside money to pay for school and now I have to set aside even more to pay for gas,” Curran said.
Finance senior Karla Otero, who commutes upwards of two hours a day to and from Willis, is going out less and is also making small trade-offs: skipping extra treats or carpooling with her sister when she has to leave the house.
“I’m struggling,” Otero said. “I had to cut back on some things because before, I would go to class and I would reward myself with a treat, maybe with Chipotle or something. Now, I have to think about it: do I want Chipotle or do I want to put gas in my car for school?”
Otero is now spending $30 a day on gas, for a total of $60 a week, because she commutes on two days. She encourages other students to utilize available resources, like the food pantry, Cougar Cupboard.
“Reach out if you need help. I feel like we’re all going through the same thing,” Otero said. “There is a lot of help, especially in Houston, so it’s just one day at a time, we’ll get through it together. Hopefully, it’s not forever.”
College students in their entirety – part-time workers like Curran, first-generation like Otero, all seasoned commuters – are not exempt from the national political landscape.
Going forward, Curran plans to use her voice intentionally.
“I’ve always cared about politics,” Curran said. “I couldn’t vote in the last presidential election. But I’m definitely looking towards what future candidates are going to offer in terms of our gas prices in particular, or just all of our financial burdens that we’re going through and how they could alleviate that.”
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