Some West Virginia colleges are seeing a spike in online course enrollment as more students opt against long, gas-guzzling drives.

West Virginia and Fairmont State universities both report a jump, along with Pierpont Technical and Community College and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

School officials say it's a convenient way to earn credits. Students can work from home or wherever they have a summer job.

Roxann Humbert at Fairmont State says requests for online courses now arrive daily. This summer, the university is offering 72 classes for 1,451 students. In the fall, there will be 109 classes for nearly 2,300 students.

But Pierpont's Paul Schreffler says it's not a solution for everyone because online study requires a lot of discipline and commitment.