Holli518, there is no way to get a list of sororities and their costs ahead of bid day. The girls don’t get several bids and pick. They only get one.
Michthebeech, I can’t lie - it IS expensive. If you live in the house, which not everybody can do and is for upperclassmen, it’s more cost effective. I would suggest she wait until her sophomore year. It’s no big deal to pledge as a sophomore - all the houses take a few every year. She can get her feet on the ground, see where her priorities are, get a good handle on studying without the distraction of extra meetings and social events. Maybe she can even save up a little to help pay the extra new member costs.
Some things that can make it cheaper - don’t sign up to buy every T shirt and candid photo offered. There are lots of theme/costume parties - use your imagination to come up with a costume, don’t buy one. Some fraternities actually do NOT have houses. The houses, with the associated salaries, insurance, security, etc, are what drives up the price so much. The unhoused fraternities enjoy close brotherhoods, too. There are a few sororities that are unhoused. Alpha Delta Chi is a Christian sorority that is unhoused. Sigma Delta Tau rents a university-owned house close to the Campus Drive parking deck. They are an NPC sorority like those in the big houses, but they choose to recruit separately. There are also a few multicultural sororities and fraternities.
Go to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to check out other Greek groups. ofsl.sa.ua.edu
Greeks make up only one-third of the student body, overall. That means 2/3 of the student body is out there living a fine life without being Greek. They all seem to figure out how to host or find a party! There are lots of other activities to get involved in, too, to make friends. A week or so after classes start, they’ll have a big activity fair called “Get on Board Day.” All the organizations will table in the Ferguson area, I believe, and will be happy to talk about their group’s activities and how to get involved.
@Michthebeech My D17 and I have been looking into the costs as well. Our approach is that if my daugther can get her ACT up 1 point, then she will qualify for the presidential scholarship and then it makes the price of sorority very do able. The other way to look at it is you can save a little bit by what dorm your choose. My daughter really wants a suite , but can save a nice amount by living in Tut. Once you are living in the house as an upperclassman, it makes it so much more affordable. It money is really hard to swallow and it will be interesting to she what my daughter decides.
@Michthebeech; I think you have to decide if the cost of Greek life is worth the benefits. I would say at least half, if not greater of sorority girls work to pay for their sorority fees–either during the school year or during the summer, or both. There are monthly payment options, etc. Our daughter pays for the portion of her sorority fees that are non-food related, we pay for her food. (I’d have to pay for her to eat anyway.) Being in a sorority is a financial commitment, but also a time commitment. The sororities are very focused on grades, and on philanthropy, and have mandatory study hours. Look at the overall opportunity, including the costs, and make a decision on participating in recruitment or not based on your own family’s situation.
@Southlander suggests waiting until sophomore year to rush. I can’t speak for Alabama, but I know that at Ole Miss sororities take virtually no sophomore pledges, and I understand that to be the case at a number of universities. Just something to investigate very carefully.
@jeepgirl My son qualifies for the Presidential at Alabama, and I’ve made it clear to him that I am willing to provide him with luxuries if he chooses a school where he can get full tuition paid for. I suggest your daughter take the ACT each and every time it’s given until December, which is the last date Alabama will recognize. Presidential is a sweet deal.
@EarlVanDorn That is our plan, she is so darn close! The good thing is, she didn’t put much effort into her first 2 test, so she is studying this summer. If she doesn’t get it, it is ok, but Presidential makes sorority fees that much more affordable!
@jeepgirl A 30 is good enough for a two-thirds tuition waiver, so still a good deal. Good luck! Remember, on the Dec. test you will need for Alabama to be one of your “free” choices for that test to court for Presidential purposes.
Thanks @EarlVanDorn She has a solid 31, so if it is meant to happen, it will. She is signed up for the September test and will go from there.
@EarlVanDorn she already has the 32 on the ACT. That’s provided they don’t raise the requirement this year. However. It’s still $12000 no matter how you slice it. Defeats the purpose of saving money with the presidential. Personally I think it’s an expensive way to make friends.
@Michthebeech I totally understand where you are doing from. For us, I consider it a wash. Presidential=Greek Life.
(mom and dad pay all fees) UA Scholar means my D17 will have to help with sorority costs if she wants to be a part of greek life.
@Michthebeech Being in a fraternity was one of the best bargains I’ve ever had, but everyone will have a different experience. I was semi-active even during law school, and about five years after graduation I served for a couple of years as alumni advisor/housing corp. head. So I’m friends with a lot of guys spanning about 15 years. We remain in touch, and one of the guys who was in the chapter when I was advisor later became my business partner and one of my best friends.
I went to a bowl game in January, and hung out almost exclusively with various fraternity brothers from over the years. Almost all of them were lawyers, doctors, or college professors.
Certainly you can make friends without a fraternity or sorority, but Greek life facilitates making a larger number of friends who have a common nexus to keep them together.
Here’s an interesting article:
http://www.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/173630/fraternity-sorority-membership-linked-higher-college-grads.aspx
@EarlVanDorn That’s true at Ole Miss, very few sophomore new members. But not at Alabama. UA Panhellenic has a separate quota for sophomores to encourage the sororities to take them. I don’t know of any sororities that did not take at least a couple. Granted, they probably had already established connections with some of the more in-demand groups.
Ole Miss also has fewer sorority chapters driving the supply and demand. UA is much more accepting of sophomores, as long as their grades are very good.
Surprised this got resurrected after so long!
Yes it is high. Dues seem to go to building costs as well as to pay for concerts. One fraternity brought Wiz Khalifa (famous rapper) to campus a few years ago. Since the Wiz probably charged $15-20k to make his appearance, at least one kid’s entire yearly dues went entirely toward that concert! Other recent acts to come have been Cherub, Ace Hood, and many others.
Also ATO is the one I had heard of with the $8000 semesterly bill. Often these things are associated with how new the physical house building is. ATO’s was the largest on campus when built by square footage, it was seriously massive. I think it has like 5 floors. Now the new KA house will dwarf it.
Also note that I heard the $8000 figure from a disgruntled pledge who quit. It’s possible he was inflating the number to make ATO look bad (or good in certain girls’ eyes 
).
Finally while the IFC average may be ~$3000 out of house, an average is merely an average. Some of the IFC fraternities do not have a house building, and therefore their dues are probably less than $500 per semester. However houses like ATO and the new KA have to pay for the maintenance and insurance on a 50+ room facility, and may still be paying loans on that facility. Thus it’s reasonable to say there are houses at both ends of the spectrum.
If you’re rushing, you may be nervous about asking what the dues are. I recommend waiting until after you’ve received a bid or are certain (based on rapport with everyone) you are receiving one to discuss financial matters. Perhaps simply casually say, “So what’s the dues this semester?” They won’t mind but if you seem excessively pushy and worried about the cost as soon as you meet them it will put up red flags you can’t handle it.
Hope this sheds some light on the situation.