Greek life costs

[aeromom]

Like begets Like.

[Southlander]

No problem atomicPACMAN07. Greek life isn’t for everybody. Only about 1/3 of students participate overall. There’s a big visual because of the many houses, but Greeks are not the majority.
I have yet to see a college student of any stripe be unable to find a party somewhere!

[atomicPACMAN07]

@Southlander first and foremost I want to get to know people academically. Those professional fraternities sound like a bargain and I will definitely look into them. I have no doubt though that I will explore the social aspect of campus through other means without a heavy hit to the pocket

[Southlander]

Well, good. There are a lot of things to learn at college. Only some of them are learned in classrooms!

[bamabound7]

We found, on the lower end, fraternity costs ranged from $300-$500 per month not including housing. The fees can change depending on what they bill for the month. They may add in items such as national chapter dues, formal dues, shirt fees… which would cause the monthly statement to increase. Remember this is a 12 month cycle. The summer bills tended to be a little lower. We understood the fees going in, considered the cost over 4 years and made our decision.

[holli518]

How do we find out the ones that cost $8000/semester?? and which ones might be more reasonable? Is there anyway to find out prior to accepting a bid?

[LucieTheLakie]

@holli518, check this FAQ:

How much does a sorority cost?

Registration Costs

The recruitment registration fee covers the cost of Panhellenic Preview Weekend, spring recruiting events, Recruitment publications, facility usage, transportation, and two recruitment t-shirts.

Regular Registration Fee: $150.00 (May 1 - July 15)
Late Registration Fee: $200.00 (July 16 – August 1)
Onsite Registration Fee: $250.00 (August 5, 2016)

*Please note that ALL registration fees are non-refundable, no exceptions.

Sorority Membership Costs

Sorority members pay dues each semester. Many groups use financial management companies, which offers online access and monthly payment plans. It is important to remember that sorority membership is the most expensive during the first semester due to one-time new member fees (i.e. pledging, initiation, badge or pin fee, etc.) and we suggest that you anticipate the total fees using the higher projections provided below. Women participating in recruitment will need to reference the Living Out of the Sorority House fees and New Member Fees. Please note that the semester fees vary by sorority and depend on housing arrangements.

Each chapter has a financial requirement, which should be taken into consideration before pledging a sorority. Financial requirements may include membership dues, house fees and room and board if you live in the facility. It is important to note that membership fees vary by sorority.

Living In-House Fees (per semester): *Includes room, chapter meal plan, chapter fees, and national fees
High: $6,500.00
Average: $5,934.00

Living Out-of-House Fees (per semester): *Includes chapter meal plan, chapter fees, and national fees
High: $4,500.00
Average: $3,300.25

New Member (first year, typically semester pledged): *Includes one time fees associated with pledging and initiation
High: $950.00
Average: $472.00

*If you are interested in individual sorority costs, please visit the Chapter Profile page to see if that information has been provided by the chapter in either their Panhellenic Preview brochure or on their Chapter website.

http://www.uapanhellenic.com/faq.html

ETA: This is for Panhellenic Council sororities, which tend to be much more expensive than others, from what I understand.

[LucieTheLakie]

Here is the cost for IFC fraternities:

Semester Costs for Fraternity Membership

IFC Average Cost:
All costs are based on a meal package, parlor fees, dues, both local and national, and all standard incidental fees/costs.

New Member
Average: $3452

Living In-House
Average: $4610

Living Out-of-House
Average: $2409

*Please note that the semester fees vary by chapter and depend on housing arrangements. *

Greek 55 Meal Plan:
If you are a first-year student at UA, you were automatically assigned an All Access meal plan; however, if you pledge a fraternity with an full-service kitchen that requires a meal plan purchase within the organization, your meal plan will be automatically reduced to the Greek 55 Meal Plan. Please note that this downgrade will only happen after UA Dining Services receives the chapter bid list from the Fraternity and Sorority Life office. Any meal swipes used prior to the downgrade to the Greek 55 will be subtracted from the original 55 swipes. Furthermore, any credit for the difference between the All Access meal plan and the Greek 55 meal plan will be applied to any outstanding balance due on the student account. For more information regarding Meals Plan Terms and Conditions for the 2015-2016 academic year, including the Greek 55 meal plan, please click herehttp://fawp.ua.edu/bamadining/fraternity-sorority/.

http://www.alabamaifc.com/financial-information.html

So I think @mrnostalgia has it about right.

[crimsonhyde]

Wow - that seems awfully expensive!

[LucieTheLakie]

Yes, indeedy!

[LucieTheLakie]

I think other councils’ fraternities aren’t nearly as expensive, however.

National Pan-Hellenic Council: https://ofsl.sa.ua.edu/councils/nphc/

United Greek Council: https://ofsl.sa.ua.edu/councils/ugc/

[crimsonhyde]

I wonder about fraternities for my son that are affordable and not too detrimental on grades for serious students.

Can anyone recommend a few that their students enjoyed that didn’t break the bank or the GPA?

[LucieTheLakie]

What is your student’s intended major, @crimsonhyde?

Theta Tau, the co-ed engineering fraternity, might fit the bill: https://muthetatau.org/

[crimsonhyde]

@LucieTheLakie Probably CS … At the moment. Or maybe math.

[Claire3]

Mallet Assembly is considered an honors program “recommended to all academically-minded, intelligent, independent young people”.

http://www.mallet-assembly.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

As LucieTheLakie suggested, the UA’s co-ed engineering fraternity, which is part of the United Greek Council linked above ^^

https://muthetatau.org/

Both are co-ed, lower cost and don’t require you to live in specific housing and fit the academic/honors/engineering society interest.

[crimsonhyde]

Thanks @Claire3

[Michthebeech]

That’s an expensive party no??

[LucieTheLakie]

It is for my pocketbook, @Michthebeech. But apparently plenty of families are able and willing to shell out the big bucks.

[Michthebeech]

@LucieTheLakie don’t know how I’m going to disappoint my daughter because her friend told her all about it and how fun it is and how she was able to make such lasting friendships. But I feel those are pretty expensive friends and it’s too expensive for my budget too.

[LucieTheLakie]

@Michthebeech, I don’t have a daughter, but if I did and she were interested in sorority life, I’d urge her to look into one of the less expensive sororities and those which aren’t part of the Panhellenic Association. Here’s a link to their 2016 rush booklet, which breaks down the costs on p. 22

http://issuu.com/alabamapanhellenic/docs/ua_greek_chic_2016/22?e=3052583/36323676

I’m sure she wouldn’t be the only student on a budget, and I’m sure many young women work to pay for their sorority dues. Still, it’s a major financial commitment and they’re very up front about that. But the Panhellenic Association isn’t the only game in town, and she might find a nice group of sisters at one of the other chapters.

Panhellenic Association sororities: http://www.uapanhellenic.com/main.html
National Pan-Hellenic Council: https://ofsl.sa.ua.edu/councils/nphc/
United Greek Council: https://ofsl.sa.ua.edu/councils/ugc/