Texas Students Attend Online Classes, Cope With Rising Gas Prices

July 15, 2008 9:53 a.m. EST

Houston, TX (AHN) - Enrollment in online classes at the University of Houston is enabling students to cope with high gas prices.

According to Marshall Schott, assistant vice president for instructional support and outreach at the University of Houston, enrollment in online classes went up 40 percent during the summer. Hybrid classes, in which some class time is done on the Internet, increased by 50 percent.

Online classes have been available in Texas for about two decades. The University of Phoenix, one of the early supporters of online education, indicated enrollment at its four Houston campuses are halved between online students and those who opt to attend traditional classroom lectures, according to Christina Grochett, director of the Houston campuses. She said online enrollment in Houston increased 19 percent in the last quarter.

The availability of more online classes has benefited working students, some of whom have to travel during the semester.

Yvette Bendeck, associate vice president of enrollment management at the UH-Clear Lake, forecasts online classes will gain more popularity in coming years as gas prices continue to soar.

In a related development, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, in its first progress report, pushed the Austin Community College to increase its enrollment to keep pace with future demand in Central Texas for more workers.