It is no secret to students on campus that attending thisuniversity comes at no small cost. In fact, Ball State is now oneof the more expensive schools to attend in the state. Albeit, itdid not used to be this way; at one time BSU was considered a cheapschool to attend.
We use the term "cheap" loosely, of course.
But things have changed with the times and as the years add up,so do the tuition hikes. Much like the ups and downs of the stockmarket, this problem has existed for some time and it is not goinganywhere anytime soon.
Our parents faced it, and so we must now, too.
College is, for a fact, expensive. No matter how you spread thenumbers out, there is no way to deny that truth. What students makeup for in tuition and housing cuts they lose in books, loaninterest, school supplies and alcohol.
Alcohol prices have gone up over the years, too -- but you donot hear as much complaining about it. Students still look atschool as a chore; a "need" not as much as a "want." On the otherhand, alcohol is exactly the inverse: a want, not a need. (Believeit or not.) Because people continue to want the product, they tendto care as much for the price of it. Fact of the matter is thatnothing short of 300% markup could stop some people from drinking(or smoking, driving, etc...)
The sad truth of the matter is that the prices will continue tocreep their way up, because like alcohol, food, tobacco, gas, milkand any other product that subscribes to the "supply and demand"theory. If people want it, the market will charge accordingly.
However, if students suddenly start attending their classes andloving every minute of it, this does not mean that tuition willfall. Mainly because we know that such a thing would never, everhappen.
So what can be learned from this reality?
Save early, save often and hope for the best. Students in themidst of a budget crunch now could focus their negative energy onsearching for scholarships or learning how to better balance theircheckbooks.
It may not be easy, and it may not solve all of the problems inthe college student financial world... but students need not worry.One way or another, we will get through it. For those families withyounger children or for those upperclassmen on their way to havingsome, it may never be too early to start thinking about thefuture.
Especially when it comes to money.
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