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Sorority Fees . . .
It seems to me that talking about the cost of being in a sorority is "just not done". Or if it is brought up the, person who brought it up must not be able to afford it. Well I have to be honest . . . I am concerned about the costs involved with being in a sorority. I will be participating in rush during fall of 2002 but I want to know what I'm getting myself into (financially). I have been told by a few people that its very costly. What can you guys tell me about it ? -Lea
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Depends where you're going to school, what organization you're joining, if the organization has a HQ supported house, amongst a host of other things. My dues were only $125-$150 a semester, with an extra amount the semester we were initiated due to the cost of our pin and such. This is low, trust me. But depending where you go, it may be just as low, or through the roof.
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Many times, the fees are eaten up with Risk Management Fees! What are they you ask?
Well they are fees that cover Insurance for People who screw up! This is because of the few who screw it up for all of us and get booted off campi for things that they do, like hazing or anything else that some one wants to sue over! It should be called stupid Insurance! :) Ask your National what that type of Insurance costs! I have many Fraternity Brothers who sell Insurance, but thier Companies will not insure us! If they do, the fees are crazy! Most or some have from Lloyds Of London who are in trouble also! for bad claims!:) Insurance Companys do not want to insure things that cost them money! DAH! :p Hell would you?:confused: |
I don't know where I am going yet. I won't hear from many schools until early April. However as it stands right now I'm going to Texas Tech University. I also applied to Unviersity of California Berkeley, U.C. Santa Cruz, San Francisco State, STANFORD University, Baylor University (I was accepted, but I am not going) and Texas Tech. -Lea:D
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Usually, potential new members are told up front of all fees. This includes: dues per semester (or month or year), initiation fees, cost of badges. This is even printed in a potential new member info booklet. Then as you go to each house sometimes this information is posted and you can speak with a treasurer. This is how I remember it from at least 100 years ago!!!
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When I went through recruitment and I got accepted a bid to ADPi, all fees were shown up front. I know for a fact some girls couldn't afford it and dropped out, which I don't know why because my chapter has a payment plan or whatever. This spring semester the total dues and everything is $320. ~
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At UCF, all the sororities let the PNM's know the fees on the third day of recruitment. The sororities provide a break down of the dues such as where your money will be going.
The sorority should let you know prior to joining what the costs would be. That way, you can make your decision BEFORE you except a bid. |
At my school, each sorority had little half-sheets printed up with financial information, including the sum total of the amount a freshman new member would be expected to pay, to distribute during rush. Rho chi's encouraged PNMs to ask sisters about financial requirements and payment plans if they were concerned. But at some schools, asking a sister about dues implies that you might not be able to pay them... sort of "if you have to ask, you can't afford it".
If you're concerned, and you can't dig up the info before rush, ask your rho chi once rush starts. She probably won't be able to give you specific figures but she can give you a ballpark estimate, as well as letting you know if it's ok to ask sisters directly during parties. |
Wow! I was reading how little some of you have to pay and lucky you! I paid $220 a MONTH as a live out but as a live in we pay $570 per month. :eek: But I know that on my campus it ranges from 75 to 300 a month so it does vary. However, when you think about how much it pays for social events, national dues, food , upkeep of the house and utilities for hundred and fifteen girls, the money goes along way. Fayissi, remember though, generally if your sorority allows you to move into the house, it is usually MUCH CHEAPER to live in versus an apartment or the dorms. So it all evens out in the end.
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For my chapter I paid $750 the semester I was pledging, and my dues each semester are about $400. Living in the house costs more, but the actual dues are the same and it is less expensive than living on campus. Also, there are parlor fees for house upkeep. Our chapters is one of the less expensive on my campus, some of my friends in other houses had to pay $1000+ the semester they pledged.
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Lea,
The best thing to do is ask the Greek life advisors (or if they don't have one, the student life advisor) at each school what the costs are, both in-house and out of house, and what exactly the housing situations are with the sororities (dorm suite, townhouse, regular house, on or off campus, can you pay through the school etc). They won't be able to give you an exact figure but they will be able to put you in the ballpark. You can ask that even if you're not sure where you're going yet. Some schools tell you up front but some do not. If this is a factor in your decision and/or budgeting, you need to know and the Greek life office will be happy to help you! :) |
I pay ~$350 per semester(we have the 2nd lowest dues), which is managable b/c that includes a social fund so we don't have to pay for parties and that sort of thing. To live in house it's about $1700 a semester. That's cheaper than if you lived in a dorm or had your own apartment on campus.
The sororities' fees are quite a bit higher. I've never gotten a straight answer, but the ballpark figure is around $1000 per semester, just in dues. To live in house...I can't even imagine. |
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Check out this site http://www.ttu.edu/deanofstudents/gr....htm#anchorPan
for information on Texas Tech Greeks. There's a phone contact for information. Best of luck! :) |
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Well, I guess our dues aren't that bad at $55.50 a month (that doesn't include parlor fees, etc., though). I guess it rounds out to about $1,000 a year, which is in the low range on my campus. But, you have to watch out for hidden costs--it seems we're always being hit up for some kind of money, be it $ to fund our annual Mr. UK pageant ("Well, we didn't raise enough money, so you're just going to have to pay it out of your own pockets!"), or $ to cover fund-raisers that went awry (like the magazine-subscription fiasco). It really burns me up sometimes, but I know it could be a lot worse.
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My total for living in-house fall quarter was $2094...argh!
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Lea, this is a break down for AGD at U of Mich. We were the cheapest on campus, but dont worry NOT all schools are this expensive if you think it is. A "friend" of mine at her school only had to pay $50 a semester for dues. Plus some schools dont have the extra added accomadations like, house to live in etc.
New Member Fee -$75 Badge- $ 21-$200 (depending on which one you get) Dues- $88 a month (7 months) Initiation Fee- $250 Parlor dues (pay when you dont live at the house)- $50 (but we got away with not having to pay it) Room and Board -$ 2500 a semester (includes housekeeper, free parking lot, cable, food, busboys etc.) So we paid about $1000 dollars, I didnt think we paid that much but we did. Like I said UofM is only one case, cuz you one of our chapters only has to pay 250 a semester for housing. Plus some orgs on our campus have a separate fee for Date Parties or Slush funds were you pay up front ranging from $50-$120. ***REMEMBER ALWAYS TO ASK IF THERE IS A FINANCIAL PLAN*** Every org had one incase ppl did need help with paying for stuff. Also not all the money is due up front, its usually scattered over the school year. |
Our ZTA fees were $550 or so the first semester (not including badge fee), and $261 this semester. We don't even have a house, just a chapter room! I know the AOII on this campus pays somewhere around $750 their first semester which is just outrageous considering NO sororities on this campus have houses! Then, of course, by your 2nd or 3rd semester you will probably take a Lil Sis and spend anywhere from $150-$400 (up to you) on her. One girl in my sorority spent around $700 EACH on her TWO little sisters, but she just has a lot of $$$. :D PLEASE don't let this discourage you, as most fees are NOT this high, especially without a house. I thought I wouldn't be able to pay for it, but I managed quite nicely. If your parents aren't willing to help you pay, try to save up some of your graduation money or work over the summer, and that will help you out.
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I know that as a NM or pledge, no matter where you go, you'll have to pay extra than you would in the dorms. However once you activate, youre fees will lessen. Of course being in a sorority is going to be extra b/c you can't live in the house.
However the thing to realize is what the cash goes to. As a new member, it's things like weekly formal dinner that you have to go to, it's put into the social budget for the very necessary parties, into to the philanthropy budget so your chapter can hold events and enter in other houses events. Also the higher costs associated with your first semester in a house is due to things like badges that have to be bought, materials that will assist you in your pledgeship and things like that. So the money you spend is worth it, at least in my opinion. Here at Nebraska, another Big 12 school (assuming you go to Tech) I knwo that every house's live-in fees are less than a dorm contract. And with that you may not be getting the same number of meals, but youre getting someplace that becomes yours, something that feels more like a home than any dorm room ever could. The fees are paying for all the necessary things. So again don't look at the cost as a burden b/c it's all going to things that you need and want. |
I'm reading about how much some of you have to pay in dues, and YOWZA!! :eek: I think I got off light...!
In my local sorority, dues were $60 and initiation fee was $100 (which included the cost of our badge and pledge ring). The semester we all pledged AEPhi, we raised our local dues to $100, plus we had national dues, badge fee, initiation fee, and a few other odds and ends. I think I paid around $400. After that, our semester dues were around $200. But we did have to pay for some extras, like formal/semiformal and T-shirts. We didn't have a house or chapter room (Panhel had a room on campus that the unhoused sororities used as a sort of shared chapter room). |
well I guess i'd have to say that my first choice would be STANFORD, of course. then definitely UC Berkeley, next either UC Santa Cruz or Texas Tech. i just don't know what i'm willing do/put up with to go to the school of my choice. anyways what about you newbie ? -lea
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Last year when I lived in an apartment with another sister, I paid 375 for rent, 150 for food, 30 phone, 40 for electric. That means I paid almost 600 a month before I even thought about dues which were around 100 a month, 12 months a year. So living in an apartment + sorority = around $700/month!!!!!! So living in a sorority house is much cheaper than the alternative! Of course, my parents footed the bill for sorority and food, but the rent, phone, utilities were all ME. And my parents live here in Houston, so there wasn't a reason not to live at home other than wanting to have a fun apartment, so I moved home when my lease was up so that I could save money!
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the cost does vary from chapter to chapter, but i would hope that all the houses are up front with you about cost during rush. it is only fair that you know what you are getting into financially before you pledge a house. during rush here, we are required to have a poster up at all our parties with the costs for the first semester broken down, which is helpful to the girls going through. on our campus, which is small, it seems that the dues for all the houses are around $300 for the first semester, but it goes down the longer you are involved, since there are fees you only pay once (like initiation fee). most houses have payment plans so you don't have to pay all at once. good luck!!!!
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As an ADPI at Arizona State we have the lowest dues on campus. At 510 per semester plus new members pay like 300 extra for initiation and pins. Compared to my friends in Pi Phi, its not a bad deal at all.
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$$$
Boy are we getting off good here!! :) I am at a small school where we don't have houses and this year our dues just went up to 55 a month 9 months out of the year. New members pay about 350-450 for new member fees and badge and all depending on what badge they choose. We also don't assess which means that everything that is mandatory is included in the $55.00. If we are required to wear a specific shirt for a philanthropy event it is covered. There are however optional things that come up that you may want to buy such as other non-mandatory t-shirts and formals. Be sure to ask if a group does or does not assess. If they do than your dues could varry significantly from month to month. I hope that this information is helpful! Good luck in your decision of what school and with rush/recruitment.
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Okay, I have a few more questions . . .
What exactly is a 'parlor fee' ? (I know UMgirl said that its a fee for girls that don't live in the house, but is that really fair ? ) What kind of hidden costs might I encounter ? (ie: parties, little/big sisters) Also, if I decide to live in the house what generally if covered in the room & board fee ? (ie: cook, housekeeper, cable, free parking) -Lea |
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And on some campuses, no chapters have houses. You just live in the dorms, so all this stuff is moot. Seriously, my chapter lived in a dorm, so we paid the standard dorm room and board. Dues (once you were initiated) were never over $200, although formal and date party were extra. At some campuses, dues alone can be more than $1000 a semester. Check out the Greek life sites at the universities you are considering for a better idea. |
On our campus GLO's are all housed in a big dorm, except a few frats, and you have to live in the wing for two years so I guess its like living in a house. Although you have to live in its a deal because its a suiet style dorm, you have your own bathroom, and its the cheapest on campus about 1200 a semester. Our dues at 300 a semester, the second highest on campus, piphi has the highest with 320. For new memebers there is a 75 dollar new memeber fee and a 175 initiation and badge fee in addition to the dues. We also don't asses, and to Tri Delta this covers sponsor gifts, paddles for your big sis, ablsolutely everything, and really its nice to not have to worry about those expences. The only thing you ever spend money on is party favors, or greek week shirts, which we might even budget for this year cause apparently thats assesing too... So definately ask if the house has a policy on assessing because it will save you a lot of money surprises along the way.
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If I were you I would contact the Panhellenic office or Greek Life office at all the schools you are considering. Ask them for general information on dues at the sorority chapters on their campus. You might also ask whether they have a house, because that may create a big difference in the costs, but will allow you to understand the difference. If one includes meals then you can squish your sorority part of your budget in with your food part of your budget, for example and it may even save you money in the long run! Hope that helps!
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Chances are, someone during rush will bring the subject of chapter dues up. It was in the "Guide to the Greeks" when I rushed, and it was pretty accurate. Everyone has to pay national dues and new member dues and such, but a big factor in how big your bill will be depends on if your house has a mandatory meal plan (which sounds mean to impose on members, but it's a good idea b/c it's nice to see everyone at dinner every night.) Also, sometimes the house itself has something to do with the bill.
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When I went through rush we were told upfront the total cost per semester and when they would need to be paid. If they dont tell you you should ask during rush. All the groups know that finances are big issues esp for new freshmen.
The costs vary from campus to campus and then chapter to chapter. Good Luck! |
From what I gather from my friends who are in their respective houses, living in house has its advantages and disadvantages, but overall it ends up being a good thing. Yeah it can get kind of hectic w/ 45+ girls in one house, especially when you crave your privacy. But you're always just a few feet away from company when you need it. If food, util, rent is covered, then definitely go for living in the house. I live in an apt that's 1100 a month (divided by 4!), plus my util., telephone, food...let's just say that it costs me quite a bit. :rolleyes: If my chapter had a house, I'd live there in a heartbeat.
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If you think the dues you pay is friviouls then whay dont you ask your Treasure where the money goes?
You may live in a Dorm or not! Money goes to the Natioanl that you belong to to operate! Money goes to the Budgets of the Commities that run, Ritual, Recruitment, Rush Functions, Run Outs, HomeComing, Charity Events, and last but not least paying for partys! Where do you have them, do you have a band or DJ? Do you not realize that most Fraternitys/Soroitys run on a tight budget! Do you have a web site. or your National, or the people that work there! Hey, they dont do it for grins! They get paid! Many Fraternitys have volunteer members that visit chapters, LXA pays our ELC people to travel all over the Country! Do You? Do you have a magazine that is sent to you? It all cost folks! Most Greek Orgs. to live in House is Cheaper than School living! You are In Or Not! Dont Complain, you are a member of an elite group of people or will soon be! In or out it is your decision, not mine or anyone elses! |
Fayissi,
If you can afford it it's the best damned investment you'll make aside from your college degree (even THAT is debatable). I don't know what it costs to be involved in a GLO where you're going to school. If it's at UT (it said you were in Austin) then I'd figure that cost to be in a sorority shouldn't be too far a cry from living in the dorms. It will of course vary from chapter to chapter. At least go through rush and find out if there is a house out there that you can be a part of! Good luck! LHT Kevin |
Lea,
Being from the bay area and being familiar (esp stanford, I"m from Palo Alto) with all the Cali schools that you applied to I can tell you that UC Santa Cruz only has one national sorority at the moment, (pi Phi I believe) so it shouldn't be too hard to find out the cost there since there is only one soror. I have some friends at Stanford who have told me going greek there is VERY expensive.. I'd say 500 a month or so. My friend at Berkely pays 625 per semester for dues and such. San Francisco State I can tell you EXACTLY what the three sororities there cost, because I go there and have the flier we give out during rush that has the exact prices listed. Alpha Gamma Delta is 385 new member fees and 250/ per semester after that Phi Sigma Sigma (which just happens to be the BEST sorority on campus IMO.. :D ) is 285 new member fees and 350 for fall semester and 180 for spring semester.. (we pay our national fees in Fall, that's why they are higher) and A-Phi is 350 for new members and 325/semester I know at my chapter any event that's mandatory is covered by dues. We don't have houses at SFSU, so these expenses are seperate from the rather pricy San Francisco rent you pay to live in the dorms or off campus, however after reading some of the other replies seems like all the chapters on our campus are a bargain. If you have any questions about any of the schools I know people who go to all of them and can get you in touch with them or answer any questions for you GOOD LUCK on your transition to college next year and if you end up at SFSU I'll see you at open house !!!! |
Our policy about assessing is that anything that is MANDATORY is covered in your monthly dues. This means that if there is a required T-shirt for recruitment or a philanthropy event, it does not cost you extra. Therefore, you know ahead of time exactly what you will have to pay. Things that are optional may cost you extra and beyond your dues such as party favors, non mandatory t-shirts, socials, and formals. If you have any other questions, feel free to pm me or ask on the board! Good luck with all your decisions.
Sarah! :) |
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