Because each house has varying dues and support, low-income students who are not accepted into a more-supportive house of choice may be unable to join an organization at all. “Since everyone is publicizing what they did [for their little], if you don’t step up or go all out, it looks like you don’t care,” Marisa Ngbemeneh, SEAS ’20, said. This average includes what is required. Once a student has been invited to join a fraternity or sorority, he or she pay an initiation feeto obtain full membership. It does not include the cost of the formal attire that many people buy or rent for the event, or the cost of transportation to and from the venue, which is usually off-campus. Each chapter will … Cost of Sororities and Fraternities: Active Member Dues. Advertise | Donate | Read the latest issue | Newsletter. Click on your ad-blocker icon and select 'Options'. However, the cost of living in a fraternity or sorority house is generally comparable […] Some dream of being part of a sorority for years, while others don't think about it once until rush week. I'm sorry that I cannot be implicit, but initiation fees, dues and donations for various activities add up rather quickly. Already branded with a reputation for exclusivity, Greek organizations are made even more inaccessible by high dues and a host of hidden expenses. For the six sorority chapters under the Columbia Panhellenic Council, dues average $650 for new members and about $400 for returning members, with some houses decreasing dues based on the season or length of membership. On the other hand, schools like University of California, Berkeley and the University of Florida offer housing for sororities, and the fee to be a member is included in the per semester or per year cost. At the University of Florida, sorority members pay around $3,700 per year, and that includes housing. “SDT does a really good job of making resources available, but I could definitely see there being a pressure to buy new clothes and other stuff.”. pledging, initiation, badge or pin fee, etc.) I thought that Greek life provided a good opportunity for that.”. Once you are an initiated member, the price of dues decrease for your remaining semesters. For them, it doesn’t seem like a sustainable social scene,” Sigma Delta Tau member Ngbemeneh said. According to data from the 2015-2016 school year, the least amount a UCF student would have to pay as a new member of a sorority is $956 per semester at Delta Zeta, compared with the highest amount – $2,346 – at Delta Delta Delta. The first semester of membership if the most expensive due to many one-time fees (house corporation fee, initiation fee, etc.). “Currently, I don’t know how I’m going to afford a little because during Big-Little week, every day there’s a theme, and the big buys a bunch of stuff for their Little and that can add up to be super expensive,” Alpha Chi Omega member Joanna Paik, SEAS ’20, said. The money spent is friendship earned, I guess. Yes, living in sorority housing can be cheaper than on-campus housing, which is often required for undergrad students on most campuses. With these barriers of entry, students involved in Greek life noted that most of their fellow members were from affluent backgrounds. While most fraternities and sororities have begun to implement forms of institutional aid, these initiatives are outpaced by student need. Formal—the event that most members attend each year—can cost more than $50 per person. But, not all college kids have to pay fines for missing meetings or getting too drunk at parties like sorority members do. Dues, what you must pay to participate in the sorority, can range from $250 – $1000 PER SEMESTER! With the help of student loans and loaned money from her parents, DiGangi was able to make it work. There are many good reasons to join a sorority, but the benefits come with a pretty large price tag. Sororities at the University of Mississippi provide estimates for in-house member dues of $2,900 to $4,200 per semester Living in-house as a member of … According to data from the 2015-2016 school year, the least amount a UCF student would have to pay as a new member of a sorority is $956 per semester at … The new member fees vary by chapter and range from $670 to $1,940 With rush geared toward meeting brothers and becoming accustomed to Greek life, the burden falls on the shoulders of those rushing to learn about the financial options offered at each fraternity. At the University of Florida, sorority members pay around $3,700 per year, and that includes housing. Social events such as formal, semi-formal, crush, retreat, and Big-Little week—where older members welcome new members—optional, but they remain integral to being a part of the community. (Campus Explorer), Here's What It Cost Me to Be in a Sorority for 4 Years. That adds up to $14,800 for all four years. Obviously, sororities are organizations that need some funding to function. That's all on top of living costs. Annual dues for new members can reach upwards of $1,200, and for returning members, a fee of around $800. What is the most expensive sorority? Greek life for international students. ] The $13 million, 39,444-square-foot home features a baby grand piano and a chandelier that once hung in New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which is what the whole house feels like. As fraternity rush comes to a close and next semester’s sorority recruitment approaches, the prospect of participating in Greek life will remain out of reach to many low-income students unable to afford the steep costs associated with being a member of a fraternity or sorority. Some people think joining a sorority is basically "buying friendship," but anyone who has joined one will tell you that's not always true. The cost of membership varies from chapter to chapter. Members also have to pay for apparel like t-shirts (everyone has to match), alcohol, social events like other fundraisers, clothes for themed parties and gifts for younger members. Last year, it was awarded to three recipients, covering their dues for a semester, according to Lynley Matthews, the Panhellenic Council’s Vice President of Finance. While not one of the largest sororities in the country, Phi Mu has arguably the best sorority house at its University of Alabama chapter. No method is consistent across all chapters, and the majority of any chapter’s scholarship resources‚ if any, are provided on a case-by-case basis. Others—like Delta Gamma or Sigma Delta Tau—have funds where sisters can contribute to the dues of other sisters. No matter what school you go to or what kind of family you come from, costs are definitely something to consider when making a huge commitment like joining a sorority. Financial requirements are membership dues, which include a meal plan, social events, leadership training, sisterhood events, support to the local chapter and international organization, and more. Girls joining a sorority chapter will pay the most amount of money their first semester, between 500 and 700 dollars according to the fall 2012 Formal Sorority Recruitment booklet. Students in this position said in many cases that they would rather drop out of recruitment or forfeit their bid than reveal their economic status. However, once you are initiated, the dues decrease, but how much it decreases depends on the individual chapter. During “Big-Little week,” each big surprises their little with gifts, food, and clothes. According to data from the 2015-2016 school year, the least amount a UCF student would have to pay as a new member of a sorority is $956 per semester at Delta Zeta, compared with the highest amount – $2,346 – at Delta Delta Delta. At the end of the article, DiGangi expresses how she feels about the costs in hindsight. It's hard to nail down an actual average of basic costs, such as registration fees, dues and housing because every school is different. My college experience wasn't cheap, but I didn't have to pay initiation fees, recruitment fees or buy matching apparel for anything. “I was kind of looking for like a home base. Most colleges and sororities have payment plans if you need it, and each sorority’s dues should be shared during recruitment. For the most part, joining a sorority will add expenses to an already expensive four-year experience. This is a big commitment for many students who are on a tight budgets. However if you drop out of the sorority after you have been initiated, you are NEVER able to go through sorority recruitment again!! Penn State and the University of Mississippi don't offer housing for sororities, but members must pay either monthly or per semester to be a part of them. This cost is doubled if the brother or sister pays for their date––which is often the norm, especially for fraternities. Interviews with over a dozen current fraternity and sorority members have shown that, in addition to dues—which are not published anywhere by fraternities, unlike sororities—many of the costs associated with Greek life don’t become apparent until after the rush process is complete. Many sorority members refer to their big as a key reason why they love their sorority, yet the opportunity to become a Big can revolve around the ability to pay. Remember that even though these costs can be expensive, they are often cheaper than normal on-campus dorm housing. Dues can be expensive. She lived in the sorority house for some, but not all, of her four years in college. In general, the initial new member semester is the most expensive due to some one-time fees. Pledging and initiation can be the most expensive processes of Greek life. This standardization is facilitated by the use of payment plans, which allow members to pay their dues in scheduled installments over a longer period of time. Usually, the first semester of membership is the most expensive because of one-time membership fees. Click the blue “on/off” icon and make sure it turns gray. “I’m not ashamed of my background, but it’s humiliating when you have to explain your entire life story,” the Columbia College sophomore said. We use advertising revenue to subsidize the cost of providing journalism to the campus, and to fund over fifty students who are on our work-study program. Initially joining will be the most expensive aspect, but it is still expensive after you become a member. and we suggest that you anticipate the total fees using the higher projections provided below. But sorority members at the University of California, Berkeley cough up $3,500 to $4,200 per semester including housing and food. Regular chapter membership dues, which can certainly also add up, are other hidden costs that many do not think about. Joining a sorority could mean spending almost $500 on just t-shirts over four years. Beyond the cost of dues, members are faced with a number of small, unannounced costs that can add up to pose a significant financial burden. Please consider helping us out by whitelisting our site in three easy steps. After those initial payments are made, your student’s only expense will be semester dues. After four years there, sisters will have paid $28,000 to $33,600 to be in a sorority. “I know that the pool of people who rush and get in is most likely people who don’t come from a low-income background, so people are deterred because they can’t see themselves in that kind of community in general. Costs are paid directly to the fraternity/sorority. Fraternities and sororities pay their own way through dues, membership fees and one-time new member or initiation fees. Greek-letter organizations have been self-sufficient since their inception. Sorority members pay dues each semester. Beta’s dues are $600, which falls on the higher end of the spectrum for fraternities, but—according to President Justin Borczuk, CC ’18—they help prevent brothers from having to pay out-of-pocket. At the end of the day, there is no cheap way to do sorority life. For the six sorority chapters under the Columbia Panhellenic Council, dues average $650 for new members and about $400 for returning members, with some houses decreasing dues based on the season or length of membership. If you’ve planned important chapter initiatives that are costly, yet the benefits to the chapter outweigh the cost of losing them, put your scissors away. You can see how much the costs vary. Yet, most of these events are not covered by dues and require members to pay out-of-pocket if they want to participate. If you live in the sorority house, housing and meal costs are an additional expense. The first semester as a sister is usually the most expensive, and sorority girls at the University of Georgia, for example, will find themselves paying $1,570 in Panhellenic dues … She included all costs, from housing to little things like beer cozies and sweatbands worn for events. Dues are around $400 for sororities per semester. “I am considering rushing again, but the financials are still really holding me back,” a Columbia College sophomore who received a bid during the last recruitment cycle but had to decline for monetary reasons said. Despite the widespread appeal of Greek life as a means to find community, for many, the community it offers is unapproachable from the start because of the baseline cost of dues. All rights reserved. Here are some examples, but keep in mind every school and chapter are different. New and Active Member Dues . So yeah, joining a sorority is a bigger financial decision than you'd think amidst the fun and excitement of rush week. 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