Alabama Sorority Costs...Can anyone help?

[Zillini]

I understand a parent’s desire to know how much everything will cost before a PNM accepts a bid. However as already said, it’s not easy to find the specific breakdowns of each chapter at Bama. Here are some things to keep in mind. Not saying I agree with all of these, just explaining.

- Panhellenic’s published dues average means just that – it’s an average. ABC might charge $5,000, while XYZ only charges $1,000. That puts the average at $3,000 which is a big difference between the two groups.

- NPC groups don’t bill their members in the same way. ABC may include everything involved in sorority life, while XYZ charges separately for things like formals, etc. Those “ala carte” items can add up quickly, yet aren’t officially considered dues.

- I won’t say it’s considered a “if you have to ask you can’t afford it” mind set in the South, rather it’s just considered tacky and possibly even rude to discuss finances. PNMs are always warned to stay away from the B’s in conversation: booze, boys, Bible, and bucks.

- PNMs might equate higher dues with a more elite/top tier chapter while lower dues must mean it is lesser quality/lower tier chapter.

- What if during Recruitment Polly PNM didn't specifically express that the bill won’t be a problem or if she even had some concerns? Annie Active might assume wrongly that means Polly can’t afford it and so better cut her.