Rush Scholarship?!

AngelPhiSig · #1 01-27-2003, 06:35 AM

Idea! Okay, so Im thinking about how much sororities cost, and then realizing that we arent getting some really wonderful women because they just cant afford $500 a year (yea I know a lot of you pay more, but keep in mind my school size and where I am... small, and rural PA!)

But I decided when Im rich, or when I marry someone rich, I want to be able to pay a girl's first year dues, and any rush fee, so she can have the expierence of being greek!

Of course, I would make sure she went through formal, cos I dont want her not looking at everyone!

hehe, Im such a dork.

But of course, Im poor, so it will have to wait!

phisigduchesscv · #2 01-27-2003, 11:27 AM

That's something I've already decided that I want to do once I'm alum and have some money saved up. We probably have one of the lowest dues, if not the lowest dues, in Phi Sig and yet it is sometimes hard for sisters to pay it.

We are at an "urban" university where many students are first generation college students. Many sisters are helping to support their families, siblings at other schools, etc. So we've tried to keep dues down, do fundraiser where a portion goes into your "personal" chapter account etc. We could seriously use a "scholarship" to help some sisters pay for dues.

My question is, are there any sorority chapters out there that have something like this set up and what criteria do you use to help you decide who gets it.

lauralaylin · #3 01-27-2003, 02:08 PM

Our alum chapter just started giving out a dues scholarship this semester. I'm not sure if they are doing it every semester or once a year, but it seemed to be based on what has been acomplished by the person in the sorority. Our former president won it. Not too many people applied, but I think that the collegiates appreciated it. But our semester dues are much lower than what other sororities seem to pay. I think it came out to $175.

OUlioness01 · #4 01-27-2003, 07:47 PM

Our Panhellenic offers three $400 scholarships to women going through Formal recruitment every year. The only requirement is that you have to write an essay on why you would like to be Greek, and indicate if finances are a barrier when thinking about accepting a bid. I actually won one of the sholarships when I went through, and it was so nice to have my first quarter dues/new member fees cut in half.

hoosier · #5 01-27-2003, 08:04 PM

My favorite chapter's alumni board decided that the chapter pres and treas. ought to get a little pay.

This was pushed along, cause the Alumni Bds. prresident's little brother was the undergrad president.

Within two years, the other undergrads apparently decided that the paid officers should do all the work, and the chapter went to pot.

Be careful with the money and scholarships.

kateshort · #6 01-27-2003, 08:23 PM

I know some chapters have been thinking about this... I'd think that a scholarship awarded to first-year members, to help offset the huge cost of initiation fees, badge fees, etcetera. In a chapter without a house, that can mean that dues are almost double the initiated member's dues.

On the other hand, if you can afford to give a small chapter dues break to every new member, as opposed to one scholarship to one person, that's something to consider too.

When I was in the local, we had a $100 scholarship each semester from our alumnae. Once we gave it all to one girl, but often we split it 50-50 or 40-30-30.

Munchkin03 · #7 01-27-2003, 09:10 PM

I think a dues scholarship is a great idea! I know that a lot of chapters have substantial savings, and it would be nice to cut even $100 off of the new member fee for a deserving new member (this could be done in private). In my chapter, new member fees are twice as much as dues for initiates, and I know it turns a lot of girls off (my school is really expensive anyway, and a lot of people work on campus jobs) because they can't afford it. I just might bring this up to the chapter nezt week.

Little E · #8 01-27-2003, 11:28 PM

We have a chapter here (100+ yrs) that has a house endowment. They have financed it so that they will be able to pay part of the tution for their brothers in about 10 yrs. Sounds strange to me but they want to get the best of the best and have decided that this is the best way

(They have a WAY strong alumn advise panel) this means that all brothers will have to pay are local and national dues. Interesting thought....

KillarneyRose · #9 01-27-2003, 11:37 PM

Ali, that's a great idea! I'm sure a lot of good women are lost because they can't pay the dues.

That reminds me of the time one of my chapter sisters said (and I quote) "Well, if someone can't afford a white dress for initiation, we wouldn't want her anyway." Never did like that girl.

33girl · #10 01-28-2003, 10:32 AM

hoosier,

I think that Ali means a need-based scholarship...nothing to do with what office they are holding.

Ali -
now that we are both big alums I think we should get this started - we could collect donations at ALF when everyone is feeling festive and generous.

Munchkin03 · #11 01-28-2003, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
That reminds me of the time one of my chapter sisters said (and I quote) "Well, if someone can't afford a white dress for initiation, we wouldn't want her anyway." Never did like that girl.

The rampant classism in the Greek world bugs me out. I just heard a sister order a maid service to clean our kitchen (in her words, "it's real cheap...just a bunch of immigrants") instead of doing it ourselves.

This classism is why I think why a scholarship like this would be great. Do most chapters have savings accounts? I don't see a problem with opening a money market account or something with high investment potential to keep something like this going annually. I mean, think about how much money we waste sometimes!