A thermodynamic model was proposed to correlate the phase behavior of a swelling polymeric gel (vinyl alcohol-sodium acrylate copolymer) and the volume phase transition in alcohol (methanol, ethanol or propanol)-water solutions. The model is based on the Flory-Huggins formula for polymer solution coupled with the osmotic pressure by rubber elasticity proposed by Flory. The volume change behavior and the equilibrium concentrations inside and outside the gel were successfully correlated using the present model.