By KYLE HOYT
BGSU Public Good News Lab
Wood County drivers are paying roughly $4.53 a gallon to fill up their cars—a price per gallon that has jumped $1.48 over the past year, according to AAA fuel prices.
But it’s not just auto owners paying more at the pump. Bowling Green State University aviation students are seeing their costs climb as the cost of jet fuel has spiked amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
With global jet fuel reaching $181.46 per barrel, up from $159 last month, has led to record high costs for aviation students. The price increases have hit flight lab courses the hardest, as they are subject to price increases based on operational costs since they are not part of students’ tuition.
Jordan Woloszyn, a senior aviation major, said rising flight lab costs have had a serious impact on students.
“Flight lab rates just increased by about $7 for each fee, including instructor fees and the aircraft rate,” Woloszyn said. “The price increase helps cover fuel costs and maintenance costs but ends up becoming an extra $300 per lab.”
In addition to the standard BGSU tuition of $13,519 per year for Ohio students, aviation students in the flight technology and operations specialization also pay Flight Lab Course Fees for six required courses, as well as elective courses. This year’s Flight Lab Course Fees total $79,008, plus $26,708 for electives.
Flight labs are subject to changes in prices, unlike most other undergraduate programs that are backed by the Falcon Tuition Guarantee, which ensures tuition costs will not increase during students’ four years at the university.
While no student enjoys seeing rising costs, Woloszyn said he understands why the increase in flight lab fees is necessary.
“It does suck seeing tuition fluctuate semester by semester, but it makes sense too,” Woloszyn said. “The flight center must make a profit, and the cost of fuel and mechanical parts for planes fluctuates based on economic shifts around the country.”
Woloszyn also works for the flight center, assisting with plane maintenance and fueling planes when they are low. He shared that each of BGSU’s planes has a 50-gallon tank, and jet fuel prices at the Wood County Regional Airport are $6.70, meaning each plane costs approximately $350 to fill up.
The program has roughly 30 planes in use, seven of which were new in 2023.
Despite record costs, BGSU’s aviation program has also seen record enrollment, including a 34% increase in new students in 2024.
Bowling Green is one of eight universities in Ohio with an aviation program and one of the few universities in the country offering an on-campus airport.
