It's the first of the month and you just received an email from your sorority or fraternity's financial institution. But that's only about 40 percent of us, according to a recent survey about how students pay for Greek life. The rest send the bill off to their parents, never to been seen again. So how do you pay for Greek life? And what's the answer to that uneasy question -- do we really pay for our friends?
According to the University of Missouri's Panhellenic Association (the governing body for sororities at Mizzou), the average cost per semester for sorority dues is about $900. About 22 percent of that $900 is used for philanthropy events. You don't "pay for your friends" through philanthropy costs, so that gives us 78 percent more of our bills to pay for our friends.
About half of the rest of the costs involves house fees. For those who don't live in the house, this includes the ability to eat meals at the house and general up-keep of the house that they have access to at anytime. For members who do live in the house, the cost increases dramatically because they are paying for their room and board. In most sororities and fraternities it is required or highly encouraged to live in the house to maintain the well-being of the house.
The rest of the costs involve fees sent to provide funding for programs through the sorority's national council, national PHA, and the school's local PHA. These programs are crucial for every sorority member's success. Locally, they can include workshops on staying safe on campus, recruitment activities to recruit outstanding members when the time comes along, and scholarships for Greek students. Nationally, these fees maintain the sorority's national council, and without the national council, the local sorority could not function.
So fees for Greek life are spilt into about three different categories: philanthropy fees, house fees, and chapter fees. These fees help maintain the life of an average Greek student, so should we be paying for these bills ourselves?
Sororities and fraternities are expensive and, unfortunately, most fees cannot be covered by financial aid. It is really not fair that those who are struggling to pay for college to not be able to participate in Greek life, and maybe that's where the "I don't have to pay for my friends" part comes in. It is something to think about -- is the money prohibiting you from joining, or is it just not for you?
As a member of Greek organization, I have to pay every penny for my sorority fees. Even though it's a struggle financially trying to save money for the sorority, I do not pay for my friends. I pay for a physical house to call home, I pay for my sorority's philanthropies, and I pay for programs to help me improve my life as a Greek student. I just happen to meet my best friends, future bridesmaids, godparents of my children, and sisters along the way.
