Sorority and Fraternity Costs

[aephi alum]

It's interesting to see the diversity in dues.

When I joined my local, dues were $100 for your pledge semester and $50/semester thereafter. The pledge semester dues included your pledge ring, badge, and sister shirt (matching lettered shirts in the sorority colors that were presented to the pledge class after initiation). I wasn't complaining about the low dues but the sorority had very little money in the bank.

When we went AEPhi, our dues for our new member semester became something like $450, and maybe $250/semester thereafter. We didn't have summer dues (no one did). That's still the least expensive on campus, mainly because the other four NPC sororities either had houses or were actively seeking housing and raised their dues in order to have money for a down payment.

ETA: During formal recruitment, we gave out little half-sheets of paper with the breakdown of dues for the new member semester and for a "regular" semester. This was the only thing PNMs could take with them. So PNMs knew right up front what they were in for.

Someone mentioned asking about finances during recruitment. A word of caution: At some schools, where rush is very competitive, asking about dues could get you cut (the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" mentality). It would be safest to ask your rho chi if it's ok to ask about dues; if it's not, the rho chi may be able to provide high/low/average dues amounts, so you know what you're in for and don't get sticker shock and depledge when you get your first bill.

[Bama_Alumna]

I probably need to check the Green Book, but I believe that NPC regs state that actual costs must be disclosed during Recruitment, prior to Preference.

I would not be surprised if this were true and that the rule was being blatantly disregarded at Alabama. It wouldn't be the only NPC rule that isn't being followed! Here is a website with the breakdown of costs that our Panhellenic supplies each PNM:

http://bama.ua.edu/~npc/sorority%20life.htm

As far as I know, no house differs significantly from the total, although some may charge more for one thing than another. As far as I am aware, specific costs for each house are not discussed at any point during the recruitment process.

[Munchkin03]

I was Panhel President my senior year, and YES. The Green Book states that there must be full fee disclosure during Recruitment. I guess each school can decide for themselves what "disclosure" is: we had itemized lists for each sorority, and other schools probably use averages. Maybe if the information is already on the Internet (as 'Bama's is?) then it's considered "disclosure."

Basically, the whole point is that the girls shouldn't have to ask.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

I was planning on working through the summer but then my boss became evil and some other higher ups threatened me and I've had it so I resigned I'm sick of slaving for pennies from the man and the job didn't pay enough to make a dent in dues anyways...or so it seems.

The group I'm interested in is beginning to look sooooo expensive (even though I have a li'l saved up). I have my heart set on rushing in fall, and everybody knows it now, so now (against ALL plans/hopes/dreams) I'm looking for something I can do doing the summer that is not a permanent type job (meaning: not even full time and definitely not babysitting) because I really just want to relax most of the summer, rush week, and my first few weeks of being a pledge so I can really bond with my org.


P.S. I'm not broke or anything but no income=no money by fall and mom and dad think fraternities/sororities are for (well, I won't even say...)

I GOT A JOB ON WEEKENDS!!!! YAY!!!!!! And it's one that I will always love doing no matter what that I can earn more with so GO ME!

[Indie_Superstar]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Y'all do realize this thread is from 1999, right?

Really? I wonder how Wonder Woman is doing right now......does anyone still talk to her? Did she end up going DG?

[33girl]

Originally posted by Indie_Superstar
Really? I wonder how Wonder Woman is doing right now......does anyone still talk to her? Did she end up going DG?

LOL

BabyPink - I think you need to take advantage of the summer to work and save up money instead of just "relaxing" most of the summer. If you really want to be in a sorority and your parents won't pay you need to figure out a way to be financially responsible - that is one of the major parts of supporting your sorority. If you live in a big city try going to temp agencies, they might be able to place you with something that is a little better than minimum wage (and when you go back to school, you can just quit - after all, that's why they call it temping).

Do not pledge a group you don't like because it's cheaper. Also please keep in mind that the sororities must select YOU as well.

[bekibug]

Originally posted by Munchkin03
I was Panhel President my senior year, and YES. The Green Book states that there must be full fee disclosure during Recruitment. I guess each school can decide for themselves what "disclosure" is: we had itemized lists for each sorority, and other schools probably use averages. Maybe if the information is already on the Internet (as 'Bama's is?) then it's considered "disclosure."

Basically, the whole point is that the girls shouldn't have to ask.

Indeed. Ours is on the internet now, and discloses stuff like average dues, pledging/initiation fees, how much extra it would be for x number of tees, etc. When I went through recruitment, this was outlined in our recruitment manuals before the parties even began.

Originally posted by AUDeltaGam

For the new member semester, our dues are $600 and every semester afterwards is about $400.

Our NM semester dues are the same as every other semester's dues, with a pledging fee and an initation fee that bumps it up about $250.
After that, our dues are $315 a semester or $70 a month for the full months of the semester and $35 for the half-months we're in school (May, December).

We use the Omega Financial billing system, so my bill for dues is sent to my parents every month. Tshirts ordered through the chapter (formal tees, Panhellenic tees for rush, etc.) are billed to that and the bill is itemized so my parents see what they're paying for and also the breakdown of where my dues go.

[rushee123]

When I rushed at my school, our Rho Chis told us that we were allowed to ask each sorority about how much their dues were and they were required to tell us. However, when we all asked each sorority how much their dues were, every single one told us that they were not allowed to disclose that information during rush. Our Rho Chis got really angry and one of them even called the NPC office to make sure that we were allowed to ask. Sure enough, NPC said that each sorority was required to tell us how much their dues were.
Despite all this, none of the sororities would tell us how much their dues were.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by rushee123
When I rushed at my school, our Rho Chis told us that we were allowed to ask each sorority about how much their dues were and they were required to tell us. However, when we all asked each sorority how much their dues were, every single one told us that they were not allowed to disclose that information during rush. Our Rho Chis got really angry and one of them even called the NPC office to make sure that we were allowed to ask. Sure enough, NPC said that each sorority was required to tell us how much their dues were.
Despite all this, none of the sororities would tell us how much their dues were.

That's very odd. Here at KSU, the sororities hand out brochures with all their financial information during 2nd party of formal rush. The treasurer/VP Finance from the chapter also got up and said a few words about payment plans, fines, or other things related to finances to answer some of the questions that may not be included in the brochure. That way there were no suprises no matter which group a PNM pledged because they had all the chapters' financial information.

[TXADPi]

Wow, I am seeing some of these dues and I wish ours were that low!

At the University of Texas our house is actually part of a historic landmark, so not only do we have to maintain the house itself, but the historic landmark as well. We're also the most expensive on campus, largely due to the house, so our dues are around $900 a semester I believe.

[alphaalpha]

I actually knew a house that charged $1000 per month for first years, so therefor $8000 extra a year and that is the live out fee. My school did not talk about finaces during rush, might now but not back then, and I am soo glad that i did not end up in that house cause i would not be able to afford it. I mean, that was what i paid per year for tuition and room and board and would not have been able to pay that much extra. Since i had to pay for everything myself. I moved into my sororities house right away otherwise i would not be able to afford greek life.

[PhoenixAzul]

we disclose the costs during open house. Our active member dues are 50 a quarter, 45 if you have a 3.5 gpa or higher for the quarter. During your pledge period, you pay 25 in dues, because you are only a pledge for half a quarter. During the year we fundraise to offset the cost of pledge materials, conserve recruitment theme stuff, etc. Shirts are always individually paid for. THis year fundraising went so well that the sorority covered the rental cost of the place for formal, and individuals paid for their meals/booze if they wished. The house members pay something like 250 a month in rent, plus utilities.

[CarolinaDG]

Wow. 50 a quarter? Ours were 500 a semester, and ours were on the low end.

[CarolinaDG]

Originally posted by 33girl
LOL

BabyPink - I think you need to take advantage of the summer to work and save up money instead of just "relaxing" most of the summer. If you really want to be in a sorority and your parents won't pay you need to figure out a way to be financially responsible - that is one of the major parts of supporting your sorority. If you live in a big city try going to temp agencies, they might be able to place you with something that is a little better than minimum wage (and when you go back to school, you can just quit - after all, that's why they call it temping).

Do not pledge a group you don't like because it's cheaper. Also please keep in mind that the sororities must select YOU as well.

I wanted to reitterate this point. One of my best friends in college (not in my chapter) was in the most expensive sorority on campus. Although she comes from a pretty wealthy family from what I could tell, her parents apparently didn't pay for her dues, and she worked her butt off to pay them. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[theta4life]

Theta, for one, is a pay one price sorority. That means our chapter can not charge extras as the year goes on. We may be more expensive on paper, but we never ask our members to pay anything more to attend formal, or go to any other chapter function. Be sure you look into all the costs and ask the right questions.