This is the most important thing: Being in a sorority is EXPENSIVE. Once you are an initiated member, the price of dues decrease for your remaining semesters. 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. Costs are paid directly to the fraternity/sorority. Although a Big can resort to cost-effective options—like handmade gifts—and a number of chapters offer ways to obtain hand-me-down apparel for discounted prices, many choose not to, citing pressure to impress their Little and housemates and, in many cases, to post pictures of the gifts on social media. “Everyone gets a ton of apparel like shirts, water bottles, hats, and pants, and it’s just a lot to afford.”. During “Big-Little week,” each big surprises their little with gifts, food, and clothes. 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. Most colleges and sororities have payment plans if you need it, and each sorority’s dues should be shared during recruitment. At the end of the article, DiGangi expresses how she feels about the costs in hindsight. Type 'www.columbiaspectator.com' into the smaller textbox and click 'Add Domain'. 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. This cost is doubled if the brother or sister pays for their date––which is often the norm, especially for fraternities. There are a lot of the cost factors people overlook before joining a sorority. “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. For the most part, joining a sorority will add expenses to an already expensive four-year experience. And then there are colleges with expensive membership fees that don't include anything else, like at the University of Southern California, where sorority members have to pay an additional $1,300 per year. 490 Riverside Drive, Rm 414, New York, NY 10027, Announcing Spectator’s 145th managing board, House Hunters: Try one of these unconventional places to live next semester, Roommates 101: Finding the right roommate. Initially joining will be the most expensive aspect, but it is still expensive after you become a member. At the University of Michigan, a larger public college, dues for the first semester of sorority membership range from $220 (an unhoused chapter) to $1,753 (a housed, on-campus sorority). Contracts of chapters with housing typically include room and board, as well as social fees, local and national dues, and some incidentals. Dues, what you must pay to participate in the sorority, can range from $250 – $1000 PER SEMESTER! My college experience wasn't cheap, but I didn't have to pay initiation fees, recruitment fees or buy matching apparel for anything. At the end of the day, there is no cheap way to do sorority life. I thought that Greek life provided a good opportunity for that.”. I was never part of a sorority myself. Joining a sorority could mean spending almost $500 on just t-shirts over four years. Of the 11 fraternities in the Columbia Interfraternity Council, eight did not respond to Spectator’s requests to disclose dues. At UNC, for 2018, new members pay between $575 to $2,500 in new member dues in the semester when they … Spectator is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Associated expenses include those of badges or pins, which vary from school to school. Citations: Here's What It Cost Me to Be in a Sorority for 4 Years (Credit.com), How Much Do Sororities Cost? After those initial payments are made, your student’s only expense will be semester dues. “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. That adds up to $14,800 for all four years. Click the blue “on/off” icon and make sure it turns gray. Members are required to pay dues, whether by month, quarter, semester or year. Get the latest news and top stories delivered to your inbox. Greek life for international students. ] And finally, here's the sorority house to top them all—Phi Mu at The University of Alabama unveiled their new $13 million dollar sorority house to much fanfare (and Internet acclaim) in 2016. The money spent is friendship earned, I guess. In general, the initial new member semester is the most expensive due to some one-time fees. Regular members pay between 250 to 320 dollars each semester. Fraternities and sororities pay their own way through dues, membership fees and one-time new member or initiation fees. “I think you’re in the dark. 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. There are many good reasons to join a sorority, but the benefits come with a pretty large price tag. With these barriers of entry, students involved in Greek life noted that most of their fellow members were from affluent backgrounds. That's all on top of living costs. Columbia has no such centralized information about the costs of Greek life (Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Jazmyn Pulley was not made available for an interview). At the University of Florida, sorority members pay around $3,700 per year, and that includes housing. Greek-letter organizations have been self-sufficient since their inception. Considering this, what is the most expensive sorority? “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.”. Because of new member dues, you can expect your first semester in a sorority to be the most expensive. Students who rush said that they see Greek life as one of the few clear ways to make friends and fulfill a lacking sense of community, especially on an isolating campus like Columbia’s. 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