As homecoming approaches, students start getting exciting about their favorite part of the fall semester. With an overload of activities available to students during homecoming week, and though students are eager to participate, they are beginning to realize what comes with this.
As students gear up to buy tickets for the activities held throughout the week, this year, students feel that the prices of homecoming week activities are at an all time high.
Florida A&M University’s homecoming concert tickets range from $49 to $199 depending on where you would like to sit. Just a few years ago, in 2019, students were only asked to bring a canned good in order to receive entry to the concert. Not only does this show a remarkable difference in price range but also brings up concerns of accessibility for all students.
Hanna Triplett, a fourth-year agribusiness student, remembers not having to pay anything for the homecoming concert her freshman year.
“It’s hard to have to pay that much for the concert ticket when my freshman year all I had to do was bring a can of green beans from my room,” Triplett said.
The NPHC step show, another popular event held on campus during homecoming week, requires students to pay $10 to enter and $45 if students would like to have floor seats at the show.
However, homecoming does not just consist of on-campus events. Off-campus parties held by Greeks and other Tallahassee party venues are also popular, highly anticipated events for students that also require tickets for entry. These tickets range anywhere from $20-$50 depending on when you buy them.
Although this does not fall directly under FAMU on-campus homecoming activities, it would be beneficial to students if the on-campus activities were less expensive, if not free, to accommodate for the other off-campus activities that students would like to participate in.
Although some prices do not seem like much at face value, not only can you not assume the financial stability of all students, but with other events to pay for as well, the total amount adds up.
All together, on the lower end of ticket prices, students would spend over $100 just to participate in homecoming week activities.
Students feel that a lot of these tickets should be free because they pay school tuition, athletic fees, activity and service fees.
Ashanti Zow, a third-year nursing student, says that FAMU should consider lowering the prices of tickets to accommodate all students.
“I feel like there should be a reduction for students only due to the fact that we do attend the university and all students don’t have those finances,” said Zow. “Everyone should be able to attend those events to enjoy their homecoming experience because that is also a part of their college experience.”
Alphonso Reliford, a fourth-year business administration student, said that these ticket prices seem too high considering all of the other obligations students have to tend to.
“We’re currently facing the struggles of paying for tuition as well as housing on top of ensuring that we’re keeping clothes on our backs and food in our stomach,” Reliford said. “Personally, ticket prices just put us in a bind.”