In accordance with Syracuse University’s fall semester starting a week later this year, final exams were also pushed back a week. This has affected students who travel significant distances to attend SU, as they have seen an increase in the price of airfare.

Classes started this semester on Aug. 31, whereas last year they started on Aug. 25. Last year, final exams ended on Dec. 12. This year, the last day of finals is Dec. 18.

Kevin Quinn, senior vice president of public affairs at SU, said the academic calendar shifts to accommodate Labor Day, which was “as late as possible” this year on Sept. 7.

Final exams end a week before Christmas during a holiday travel window that is one of the most expensive times of the year to fly.
Students traveling far distances have also had to reconsider what mode of transportation they will use to get home.

Emilie Benyowitz, a junior Los Angeles native studying illustration photography in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, said her plane ticket price skyrocketed to $200 more than she has previously paid .

“The setback of living on the West Coast is that it limits my transportation options and forces me to spend a lot more money on travel expenses,” Benyowitz said.

The undergraduate population at SU includes students from all 50 states and 123 countries, according to the SU Fact Book.