[ASTalumna06]

Before I tell you when to talk to your chapter about all of this... have you exhausted all of your resources, and are you absolutely positive that you have to drop?

My chapter has always had girls who have struggled to pay dues. We encourage them to talk with the Treasurer and Advisor and to work out a payment plan.

Another option would be to pay some of your dues over the summer. When you first join, larger lump sums are to be paid up front, but as your time in the sorority progresses, you could spread out the time that you have to pay them. One girl in my sorority had the hardest time saving money and paying all of her dues in September. Instead, she would write a check to the chapter every week for a set amount, between the months of May and August, so that when she arrived back on campus in the fall, she wouldn't owe the sorority anything.

I know that not all chapters operate this way, and some of them might have different policies for paying dues, but before I simply decided to drop, I'd probably discuss my situation with someone and find out what my options are (which I'm guessing you haven't done?) They will probably try to help you out before they simply send you away.

ETA: Some years back (shortly before I joined), a few of the girls in my chapter were really struggling to pay their dues. With the permission of the rest of the chapter, they put on their own separate fundraiser selling candy bars, and they used the money to pay for the portion of their dues that they couldn't pay out of their own pockets. ... so that might be another option..?