WENTWORTH, N.C. -- Big changes in class schedules are in the works at Rockingham Community College that school officials say will ease the high cost of commuting for many students.

Beginning with the fall semester, two dozen courses will be compressed. Five-day classes will be held four days a week and three-day classes will be held two days a week.

RCC President Robert Keys said the compressed schedules especially will benefit part-time students who attend school without the benefit of financial aid.

"Going to college is not their primary activity," Keys said. "They have jobs and family and so on, so every dollar they spend is important to them."

Keys said with no public transportation in Rockingham County, students have no choice but to drive.

He said the cost of commuting is particularly high for about 20 percent of the school's students who come from other counties.

"If they're coming from Guilford County, Caswell County, even Stokes County, they're having to travel a great distance to get here and, so, by reducing their required number of trips significantly per week, it will help them save on the high cost of commuting and the high cost of gasoline," Keys said.

Students said they're looking forward to the relief.

"With the price of gas, I know just to fill up my car it costs $55. Also with my tuition prices, it will help out with that, as well," student Ashely Bishop said.

Of course, the longer classroom times will test students' attention spans.

"I hope I still have my 10-minute breaks," student Adam Cardwell said. "I would like to see them maybe 20-minute breaks. In essence [class times] are going to be a little longer, but I think I can deal with it."

Officials said they wanted to ensure that in making the changes, they didn't compromise students' education.

"We're definitely taking it seriously," Robert Lowdermilk, RCC vice president, said. "We're trying to find the right balance between what will work best for students -- who are all commuters -- and what will also work best for maintaining the integrity of the academic offerings that the students are going to be taking."

The school plans to compress the schedules of additional courses in the spring semester and hopes to operate the school on a four-day-week academic calendar by next summer.

While class schedules are being compressed to fewer days per week, Rockingham Community College's administrative offices will continue to be open five days a week.

The college is also considering offering some courses off campus to reduce commuting distances.