In bitter sweet news, many schools across the country have been seeing a spike in demand for online learning programs because prospective students are reluctant to commit to driving to local campuses due to rising gas prices. This may be good news for the University of Illinois’ sputtering Global Campus initative.

And the money quote from the NYT, emphasis mine:

One student taking online coursework for the first time is Kameron Miller, a 30-year-old working mother who lives in Buffalo, Mo., 40 miles north of Springfield. Her commute to classes in her 1998 Chevy Venture during the spring semester cost her at least $200 a month for gas, Ms. Miller said. This summer, she is taking courses in health, humanities and world music — all online.

“I don’t feel I get as much out of an online class as a campus course,” Ms. Miller said. “But I couldn’t afford any other decision.”