By Elisabeth Porch
Staff Writer & Copy Editor
Commuter students at Wingate face several expenses gas, vehicle maintenance/repairs, insurance, and parking permits outside of tuition to attend school, with costs varying based on a commuter’s individual financial situation.
While costs vary for every student’s financial situation, a commuter student has
to pay for rent, utilities, groceries, and other costs necessary to live, but they also need to pay for car-related expenses to get to school. Sophomore psychology major Rylee Howarth drives a 16-mile commute, about 33 minutes, and pays around $96 per month during a semester. The most financially difficult part of commuting for her is gas, and that cost leaves her with less money to save or spend Freshman finance major Nikolas Trapani gave a similar answer. He drives 15 minutes to school, paying about $72 in gas per month during the semester.
“The fact that I am a commuter deters me from attending events,” said Howarth.
The cost and distance can be challenging for commuters. Because of this, commuters may spend all day on campus. Thus, the university encourages commuter students to use the time they have in between classes to participate in campus life. An initiative called Commuter Connections helps support commuters, said Abi Richardson, graduate assistant of Campus Involvement, who is in charge of this initiative, by providing them with resources and information to make coming to campus easier, offering events to help commuters get connected and engaged and highlighting spaces where students can spend time between classes.
Wingate’s Cost of Attendance (COA) establishes that Wingate recognizes
transportation as a commuter student’s expense, said Richardson. The COA accounts for transportation costs commuters need to pay, though the numbers are estimates. For the fall and spring semesters, Wingate’s 2026-27 COA provides a $2,484 annual transportation allowance, working out to approximately $1,242 per semester and about $276 per month over a nine-month period. However, said Richardson, this number is an estimated financial aid allowance based on what the university determines the average cost of transportation for commuters to be. Wingate does not have a specific commuter transportation discount, assistance program or emergency transportation fund, said Richardson. However, students experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to contact Financial Aid about their circumstances and possible options.
Commuting can appear less expensive than living on campus, and it is for some
students, but all costs depend on a commuter’s specific financial situation. Wingate’s cost of attendance estimates that dependent students living off campus have an annual cost of attendance $6,778 lower than students living on campus, while independent students have a lower COA of $812. Howarth and Trapani both said commuting saves them money, especially in the long run or with debts, compared to living on campus.
