[violetpretty]

Definitely check with your school's Greek Life Office to get a ball park figure if that information is not listed on the Panhellenic website.

Make sure you compare apples to apples. There are chapter dues, parlor fees if you live out of house, national fees (most likely one time fees but some chapters may separate the semesterly national dues from the chapter dues), your badge, and optional extras (t-shirts and other group order items, formal). Some chapters are all inclusive, some are a la carte for the extras.

Also, if your school's sororities have houses, inquire if living in the house is required and how much it is. Talk to your parents as to whether this is something they would pay for. At my alma mater, living in my sorority house was a little bit cheaper than living on campus---about the cost of dues cheaper!

There are a few chapters at certain campuses that will look down on PNMs asking questions about money---the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" attitude. If you are at an SEC or large Texas school, you may be more likely to encounter this mindset, which is why I would suggest inquiring from the Greek Life Office instead of during recruitment parties. Also, at ANY school, do not say to chapter members, "Oh if I can't afford it, I'll just withdraw." It makes you look like you wouldn't be a committed member. At most schools, asking about finances is perceived as responsible, but saying up front that you'll withdraw in a flash does not look good.

Since you will most likely be working to earn money for dues, you might want to ask the chapters about the time commitment, and ask your boss for off well in advance for required (ie fined) events.

About the ease of withdrawing, others have mentioned that you are no longer a member if you withdraw. You will have to return your badge and you will not receive a refund for it (you're paying to rent it from HQ). You will have to be paid up or your chapter can and will send you to collections court and it will ruin your credit if you don't pay.

Sometimes, people will peace out at the beginning of a semester, ignore dues reminders, and get around to writing their withdrawal letter by the middle or end of a semester. They believe they do not owe the chapter any dues because they did not "get anything out of" that semester (didn't attend any events). However, had the withdrawal occurred before recruitment, that spot could have been filled by a new member who would pay dues. So, if the chapter lets a member slide like that, they lose money. I see this happen a lot. It's a double edged sword. If you educate your new members upfront on how to withdraw, it scares them/makes them feel like the chapter only cares about their money, etc. but if you don't tell them, then members plead ignorance. So pay attention to deadlines.

Keep in mind that many chapters do allow members to take a one semester leave of absence where you only pay national dues and not chapter dues. This would be an option if you experience a temporary financial setback that you expect to improve in future semesters, not for continuous financial struggles. However, chapters do have limits on how many times you may take a leave of absence, even if for different reasons.

Sorry to write a book, I just thought of a lot of things.