For more than a century, high schools and colleges across the country have been welcoming alumni back in the annual tradition of homecoming. Although the origins are a bit unclear, the University of Missouri is widely credited with its beginnings. But what started as a simple invitation to have alumni come home to support the Missouri football team, has now become an event rivaling prom in expense.

“My dress was about two hundred dollars, his garter was about seventy-five, his mom made my mum so probably about a hundred. I would say all together it was probably around five hundred dollars,” sophomore Natalie Frauenheim said. “Around four hundred for dress and mums and garters and then a bunch of random stuff, so all together probably about five hundred total.”

For underclassmen, the prices are usually lower but for many seniors, the excitement of a final homecoming causes the cost to weigh more heavily on them.

“My dress was a hundred, mum was two hundred, his garter was one-hundred and ten, so that’s four-hundred and ten,”  senior Sarah Bower said. “Then at dinner we’ll probably spend a hundred. I have to get my makeup done, so another sixty. All together it was probably about seven hundred.”

Some organizations in the school are benefiting from the amount of money bought in honor of homecoming spirit. From the Majestics selling mums to fundraise, to band to student council, a lot of the money spent stays within the school.

“We order 1,345 shirts, we take orders at all school except the high school. As of right now, we probably have 75 left,” parent Laurie Ottinger said. “[All the money] goes directly to the band program to support their activities.”

Student council also made a lot off the sale of homecoming tickets. As of lunch-time Friday, more than 550 tickets had been sold. The tickets, depending on when purchased,cost from $20-35, so the profit made is anywhere from $10,000-$17,500. The upward trend of the homecoming price is seen by parents as well.

“Since my oldest son was a freshman in high school, the mums have gotten bigger and bigger,” parent Karin Wortham said. “Mums cost more, dinner costs more. It’s as much as prom now.”

The burden of the price of homecoming is noticed by everyone.

“It gets more expensive and bigger mums and bigger garters every year,” Bower said. “Which is ridiculous, because I don’t know how much bigger they can get.”