Higher tuition costs push students to

perform, to cater and to strive for success.

Muncie, IN

 

Tuition is a major factor that plays a role in a student’s life of whether an education is obtainable. As a new school year begins and a new class of students emerges, tuition rises.

 

More than 20 years ago in-state tuition was around $600. Skip ahead 10 more years and tuition gradually increased to almost $3300. In 2010 tuition had reached more than $7800. Ball State released an estimated cost for tuition in 2014-2015 academic year to be nearly $8700. As the numbers continue to rise, student’s opportunities in college are ceasing.

 

Ball State students Gabrielle Bunn and Darius Norwood have their own ways to pay their way through college.

 

Gabrielle Bunn works two jobs as well as being a religious competitor for local and state pageants. She has been in more than 20 pageants and hopes to take on the title for Miss Ball State next year. By doing these Miss America Organization pageants, scholarships are highly affective towards Bunn’s education.

 

“My scholarship dollars from Miss America help my education,” says junior marketing major Gabrielle Bunn. “Miss Ball State has done the most for me because the scholarship dollars are the highest.”

 

Darius Norwood is a sophomore public relations major at Ball State. As well as working part time at Best Buy, Norwood created his own public relations business, Mind Over Matter in October of 2013. He created his business to help up-and -coming clients promote their work at an affordable price. He wanted to create this business to get a jump-start on his public relations career. Not only is this business good for his resume it is the way he pays for his college tuition.

 

“I don't have off days, even my days off of work I’m more busy because I have to finish Mind Over Matter stuff. I’m either doing music or meeting with clients; it’s just finding different ways to better myself,” Norwood said.

 

In addition to his interest in public relations, Norwood had a passion for music at an early age. One of his clients recommended he write a song and his song turned out to be a hit among Ball State students. His new album Welcome to the Weekend is another way he earns extra cash for college.

 

Mark Carter has been in the restaurant business for 20 years.

 

“I work more than 60 hours in a week. It get’s me by. Whatever I’m doing is working, there’s nothing to change," says Carter.

 

Even though tuition costs are high and getting by in this economy is tough, people are able to come up with ways to face and overcome this obstacle to pay. From dancing to jazz on the main stage to selling hotdogs every weekend people like Darius, Gabrielle and Mark are putting education first and finding ways to do so.