Advance Auto Parts is looking to help advance the education of incoming college freshmen, and ease their financial burden, by awarding “fuel rides” in the form of four years of Shell gasoline.
In addition to awarding 10 incoming freshmen four-year “Fuel Rides to College,” the company will also give 20 incoming freshmen a $100 Advance gift card to stock up on essentials to help keep their automobile in shape this school year. Incoming college freshmen can visit AAPFuelRide.com through Aug. 18 to enter, win and review rules.
To help ease this anxiety, Advance and its team are also offering students and their parents free “off-to-campus” in store services at Advance stores nationwide, including free battery testing and installation, wiper blade installation and check engine light scanning.
Advance’s “Fuel Ride to College” program arrives as prices at the pump tick up. New data from Atomik Research reveals that 67% of college students cite gasoline for their automobile as being an expense that puts the most financial strain on their wallet, while 76% of parents of incoming freshmen say they are worried about their student’s ability to afford gas.
Parents also have significant anxiety regarding the safety of their college students when it comes to the automobiles they operate, according to Atomik Research surveys commissioned by Advance. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents of incoming college freshmen feel very or extremely anxious about their student’s safety when it comes to maintaining their cars, and about three-fourths (73%) of parents have more anxiety about the car safety of their incoming college freshman than they did during the child’s senior year in high school.
“Starting college is exciting for incoming freshmen, but that excitement is accompanied by anxiety and worry for both students and their parents, especially regarding finances and safety,” said Samantha Avivi, Advance’s chief marketing officer. “Through our ‘Fuel Ride to College’ program and complementary curbside services for motorists, we want to put the brakes on fuel-filled worries for both students and parents, especially when it comes to having a reliable and safe automobile on the road to college, around campus, back home and everywhere in between.”
