The homecoming parade, Homecoming Man and Woman of the Year and all events run by the Homecoming Planning Committee are paid for by students at Southeast Missouri State University.

Homecoming is funded through the Student Government Association. SGA treasurer Emilee Hargis said SGA is funded through student fees. Students pay $1.62 per credit hour for SGA.

"We get the total budget from them, and we divide it up by percentage for each group," Hargis said. "Our total budget comes to $13,158."

"It seems like the university has money. You could always have the debate of 'Where should this money go: here or there.' If students are taking advantage of [the events] and it's benefiting them then I guess it's good, so I think every event you kind of have to evaluate on an individual basis and see if it is really benefiting students on campus." - John McLain, Southeast junior

Homecoming receives 3.87 percent of SGA's budget, Hargis said. SGA gives that percentage to the Homecoming Planning Committee.

"They run the parade, Man and Woman of the Year, they coordinate homecoming and all the activities surrounding homecoming," Hargis said.

Michele Irby, director of Campus Life and Events Services and adviser to the Homecoming Planning Committee, said this year the budget for homecoming is slightly larger than last year because of student increase at Southeast.

"This year, we do not know the total amount spent for homecoming because not all of the receipts are in," Irby said. "Our base budget went up a little bit this year, but we don't necessarily anticipate that our expenses will be a lot more. They should be very similar. Selections don't change; the food will be more expensive this year than last."

Irby said the Homecoming Planning Committee selects a chair and committee chairs, and they begin planning events for homecoming in February. People interested in helping to make decisions about what should happen during homecoming must be elected as part of the planning process in February.

"Whatever committee chair you are, you make the decisions about which events you want your committee to work on," Irby said. "Those events are chosen and selected, then once we decide what those events will be at the committee we provide those to the student population."

The committee has a planning meeting in early September. Any student that wants to participate as an individual or a part of a group, like a fraternity or sorority, can choose what events they would like to participate in, Irby said.

"We give them packets and forms. We tell them all the things that are available and are an option for them. Then they can pick and choose what they want to participate in," Irby said.

The committee decides what events they would like to plan for homecoming and submits costs assessments to the president of the Homecoming Planning Committee.

"She looks and sees if we can accommodate everything that's been requested or if the requests are too much then she makes decisions about where she can make cuts," Irby said.

Each committee is responsible for deciding what they think is appropriate to do with events like the homecoming parade, Irby said.

Planning for the parade is usually the same almost every year, therefore costs stay the same, too.

"Big changes or events that deviate year to year would be our special events, or things we call spirit, like the spirit pep rally," Irby said. "Sometimes those events change depending on what the committee wants to work on for that particular year."

Student responses of how the Homecoming Planning Committee uses its funds can be found at http://www.southeastarrow.com/gallery/13419.