Alabama Sorority Costs...Can anyone help?

[jll]

Originally Posted by bamaSDT

All of this information was given out at panhellenic preview weekend

Actually it was not. We were at Preview Weekend and only 4 or 5 of the houses had this information on their posters. When asked directly we were told that they did not give that information out and to go by the averages on UA Greek Life site. I actually took pics of the posters that listed the costs so that I could have it quickly and accurately. I was not the only parent/child doing that.

In this economy cost is a consideration. Because of her major (cannot list as it is a very small group) she has been advised not to work during the school year.

[Greek_or_Geek?]

I would guess that if there are truly chapters that would drop her for asking about fees, then they would be among the ones you couldn't afford. The old adage of "if you have to ask..."

Your daughter doesn't get to "drop" chapters unless she's one of the superlative PNMs that everyone wants and has her pick. Try as she might to place the unaffordable chapters at the bottom of her rankings, if the more affordable ones don't want to invite her back she will be seeing those outside of your budget. What happens if she gets to preference and two of the three are more expensive (and she likes those better?) Are you going to demand that she SIP?

I think a more realistic option is to have a conversation with her now to discuss what you can afford and how she will be able to come up with the difference if she ends up in one of the more expensive chapters.

[bamamama14]

My daughter's dues run about $3500.00 per semester easy!! That includes $300.00 per semester slush fund for zaps and t-shirts. Freshman year was even more, at least $4000.00 per semester. I told her if she wanted to go abroad in the future, to quit buying t-shirts.

$1500.00 a semester meal plan
$800.00 house fees
525.00 dues
$300.00 10k gold and pearl pin
$300.00 shirts and zaps
a lifetime of memories and friendship... priceless

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Dare I ask: WTF is a zap?

[bamamama14]

A zap is a photo taken by a professional photographer at the swaps, formals, philanthropy events, etc.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by bamamama14

My daughter's dues run about $3500.00 per semester easy!! That includes $300.00 per semester slush fund for zaps and t-shirts. Freshman year was even more, at least $4000.00 per semester. I told her if she wanted to go abroad in the future, to quit buying t-shirts.

$1500.00 a semester meal plan
$800.00 house fees
525.00 dues
$300.00 10k gold and pearl pin
$300.00 shirts and zaps
a lifetime of memories and friendship... priceless

Wow!

If you don't mind me asking -- is this living in-house or elsewhere?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by bamamama14

My daughter's dues run about $3500.00 per semester easy!! That includes $300.00 per semester slush fund for zaps and t-shirts. Freshman year was even more, at least $4000.00 per semester. I told her if she wanted to go abroad in the future, to quit buying t-shirts.

$1500.00 a semester meal plan
$800.00 house fees
525.00 dues
$300.00 10k gold and pearl pin
$300.00 shirts and zaps
a lifetime of memories and friendship... priceless

Doesn't the meal plan kind of wash out with what someone would pay for the university meal plan? Non-Greeks have to eat, too.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by bamamama14

My daughter's dues run about $3500.00 per semester easy!! That includes $300.00 per semester slush fund for zaps and t-shirts. Freshman year was even more, at least $4000.00 per semester. I told her if she wanted to go abroad in the future, to quit buying t-shirts.

$1500.00 a semester meal plan
$800.00 house fees
525.00 dues
$300.00 10k gold and pearl pin
$300.00 shirts and zaps
a lifetime of memories and friendship... priceless

What dorm/living costs will the $1500 and $800 eliminate? And I would hope the badge is a one-time cost.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by bamamama14

My daughter's dues run about $3500.00 per semester easy!! That includes $300.00 per semester slush fund for zaps and t-shirts. Freshman year was even more, at least $4000.00 per semester. I told her if she wanted to go abroad in the future, to quit buying t-shirts.

$1500.00 a semester meal plan
$800.00 house fees
525.00 dues
$300.00 10k gold and pearl pin
$300.00 shirts and zaps
a lifetime of memories and friendship... priceless

So if they are paying for a meal plan at the house, do they get their money back from the university for that meal plan? Or are they buying two meal plans? Just curious. Because that makes a big difference. That seems less than what you pay for a dorm meal plan (at Hypo's school anyway). And, you wouldn't really count that as "sorority fees" if you have to pay it to *someone* either way. If you're paying it twice, that's a different story.

If you don't count the meal plan, got a cheaper badge (you could always upgrade it as a graduation gift or something), and reduced your shirts and photos, you could get by paying considerably less.

[DubaiSis]

I didn't spend $300 on t-shirts and photos in 4 years of college and I think my pin cost about $50 (it was a long time ago, but still our base pin is under $100). Using the above example of why it's too expensive to be in a sorority is kind of like saying you can't afford a car because you can't afford a Ferrari. Giving your daughter a strict limit on how much she can spend for extras is a reasonable thing to do, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone say living in was more expensive than living elsewhere. The membership fees are well worth it when you factor in food and housing costs.

And, by the way, even if you had the numbers, they're so confusing that they should be disregarded anyway. Some include the pins, some don't. Some include extras like t-shirts and party favors, some don't. If sorority at some level is affordable to you, any of them probably will be; the money might just come at different times and in varying amounts. But I do think this is a good time to start teaching your daughter that STUFF costs MONEY, which she by the way is not making herself. And there are plenty of girls who manage to float the entire cost on their own without parental support. I don't know how, but I saw friends do it, even while holding executive positions and grades-based scholarships. Sorority is a good investment in her future.

[UGAalum94]

I think that in our comments to the OP, some of us maybe be letting our frustrations show with all the folks that signed up for greek life, pledge and maybe got initiated, and then dropped out because of completely foreseeable costs and who we suspected/knew just preferred to spend the money differently after they got a little bored.

However, in this case, we have someone who is trying to figure out in advance if she can honor the commitment that the group expects but she can't figure out exactly what it is.

I do understand the OP's concern, and frankly, I'm surprised that the groups don't all have this published someplace. There would still be some problems because of the difference is what people count as "dues" that might not really be set, with the zaps and t-shirt stuff being one and the meals you'd have to pay for elsewhere if you didn't eat at the house being some of those things. But you could give people ball park costs.

On the other hand, folks in the thread are completely correct, jll, that even if you get the info that there not much you can do with other than maybe not accept a final bid, unless your daughter is one of the very fortunate ones who gets invited to all of the chapters.

[bamamom11]

As a new member we paid around $5200 for the year last year. This year living in the house, bill was $4700 for fall semester. Also put about $800 in purchase fund for tshirts and zaps last year, expect to spend about the same on purchase fund this year.

[bamamama14]

Originally Posted by bamamama14

My daughter's dues run about $3500.00 per semester easy!! That includes $300.00 per semester slush fund for zaps and t-shirts. Freshman year was even more, at least $4000.00 per semester. I told her if she wanted to go abroad in the future, to quit buying t-shirts.

$1500.00 a semester meal plan
$800.00 house fees
525.00 dues
$300.00 10k gold and pearl pin
$300.00 shirts and zaps
a lifetime of memories and friendship... priceless

This is out of house, and yes it replaces the university meal plan although freshman have to keep a $300 plan for first year. My daughter loves this sorority and this is just what it cost. It is what it is, can't nickel and dime it. In house is cheaper, but UA houses can't possibly hold all the members.

[FSUZeta]

Mom, my daughter recently got her masters degree from Bama and lived in a condo near campus. Her rent was $5000 per year-she was in a 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo. The $5000 did not include utilities, food or any money for fun things-movies, going out to eat, etc. My son will be in graduate housing at FSU in a week and his semester cost for his room is $3000. This does not include food. I hope these figures help make you to feel better about your daughter joining a sorority.

Most often it is less expensive to live in the sorority house. Sorority housing offers many more perks than dorm or apartment living.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by AGDee

So if they are paying for a meal plan at the house, do they get their money back from the university for that meal plan? Or are they buying two meal plans? Just curious. Because that makes a big difference. That seems less than what you pay for a dorm meal plan (at Hypo's school anyway). And, you wouldn't really count that as "sorority fees" if you have to pay it to *someone* either way. If you're paying it twice, that's a different story.

If you don't count the meal plan, got a cheaper badge (you could always upgrade it as a graduation gift or something), and reduced your shirts and photos, you could get by paying considerably less.

Yes, UofA offers a greek (reduced) meal plan (which does help offset the cost of the sorority meal plan):

http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/terms...tions.html#all

So Bamamama14's costs for sorority meal plan and house fees are $2300 per semester -- which includes meals -- other costs appear to be related primarily to one-time initiation (in style), new member national fees (should drop to about $175 thereafter -- annually), and frills.

There are always "extras" for sure (t-shirts for every occasion, formal, etc). But I don't see any way a freshman would need to spend 4k per semester.