In July 2008, the average price of regular unleaded gas hit $4.11 a gallon, the highest recorded nationwide average price of gas in the United States.
The cost of fuel in the U.S. is climbing once again and approaching a record-high price.
As of last Wednesday, the national average price of regular unleaded gas in the United States is $3.86.  A month ago, it was $3.56. That is a 30 cent increase in four weeks.
Mississippi’s average gas price was $3.64 a gallon, and at most gas stations in Starkville regular gas costs $3.65 a gallon.
Students at Mississippi State University are feeling the pressure of rising gas prices on their already limited budgets.
Marissa De Los Santos, sophomore kinesiology major, said it is hard to ignore the increase in prices.
“Especially when I drive home I notice,” she said. “It used to take $20 to fill up, and, now, it takes $40. It’s definitely inconvenient.”
De Los Santos also said if she plans on going home on the weekend, she does not eat out and skips grocery shopping during the week.
“Things have to come second if I want to go home,” she said.
Jacob Prince, senior geography major, said he thinks gas production has hit its peak and people will have to turn to alternative energy sources or change their lifestyles to coincide with increasing demand and costs of fuel.
“Eventually, people will have to find more efficient ways of getting around,” he said. “Students will either have to pay more or make different decisions.”
Prince said the current increase in gas prices has not been a problem for him.
“Personally they haven’t affected me that much because I drive a gas-efficient car,” he said. “It’s not a hybrid, it sips gas; 11 gallons can take me 400 miles.”
Prince said he thinks students should make the switch to more fuel efficient cars.
“I think it would be the responsible thing to do, but it’s not feasible because not everyone can go out and buy a new car,” he said.
Ali Cuavas, freshman chemical engineering major, said she pays $50 to $60 for a full tank of gas in her Toyota Camry, almost twice as much as the $35 that Prince said he pays to fill up his Toyota Yaris.
Cauvas said she thinks biking would be a good alternative form of transportation to offset fuel costs for students.
She said if Starkville could accommodate bikers on Miss. Highway 12, she would see biking as a realistic option.
“It would work if we lived in a big city where things were bike friendly,” she said. “But it’s hard to get around on only a bike off campus.”
Students are not the only people feeling the weight of high fuel costs on their budgets. 
Mike Harris, director of Parking Services, said the surge in gas prices over the past year has caused difficulty for the campus shuttle program.
“Does it cause strain? Sure it does,” he said. “We may not be able to buy new bikes for the bike program; you just make those adjustments in your budget.”
Harris said although it has become more expensive to keep the shuttles running, sacrifices have to be made elsewhere to accommodate rising fuel costs.
He said shuttle services will not be discontinued, even in the midst of soaring gas prices.
“Shuttles have got to run; they’re part of our environment,” Harris said. “It’s only fair to the students.”
He said they have applied for a grant that, if approved, would allow the shuttle routes to expand into the city of Starkville and provide additional funds for the shuttle program, including fuel costs.
This grant would bring relief to the shuttle program by paying 50 percent of the $11,400 per month that it takes to run 11 shuttles 10 hours per day, five days a week.
Harris said there has been a 27.2 percent increase in how much it costs to fuel shuttles since this time last year.
At this time last year, MSU paid $2.71 per gallon for gas to run shuttles and currently they are paying $3.52 per gallon.
As for rising fuel costs, Harris said he doesn’t see prices falling anytime soon.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see it at $4.50 a gallon,” he said.