Joining a sorority comes with a financial obligation, often referred to as dues by sorority women. To help you be more prepared for this financial piece of sorority membership, we have compiled the most common questions about dues.
What do dues pay for?
Sorority membership dues are fees paid to a chapter or inter/national organization to fund things such as events, chapter programming and operational expenses relating to that specific chapter. Because chapter activities vary, there is no one-size-fits-all breakdown of what chapter dues will include.
If a chapter has a house or other communal space then it is reasonable to expect there to be some kind of housing fee that pays for the upkeep and management of the property. All membership dues are invested back into the enrichment of the membership. You can learn more about what dues pay for here.
How much are sorority dues?
The vary of how much dues cost is a wide range. This range is due to activities and educational programming sorority women participate in, but largely the cost difference is heavily dependent upon housing. If you live in a sorority house or have housing fees, the cost will likely be higher to cover those costs. Knowing how much your dues will be is something you should ask each chapter you visit during recruitment.
How do I pay dues?
How sorority women pay for dues depends on the organization. Most NPC organizations have an online portal that allows members to pay for their dues. This is a great question to ask sorority women during recruitment to know what the process will be like.
What are the payment plans?
All organizations have specific payment plans in place, but it will vary. Most organizations have multiple options that allow sorority women to pay their dues in full or in increments. This is another question to ask during recruitment. You should know what your options are before joining a sorority.
Similarly, circumstances may arise during your sorority membership when your financial status changes or your circumstances change and that is also something to talk to your chapter treasurer about. Sororities have procedures in place to help members through circumstances like this. But it is always important to do this before you miss a payment.
What happens if I miss a payment?
Similar to having payment plans in place, sorority organizations have specific procedures for when a payment is missed. This, of course, will vary by organization. Some organizations will have the treasurer reach out to you to inform you a payment was missed as a first step. If you ever think you will miss a payment, we encourage you to speak to the chapter treasurer to see what options you have. It is better to be upfront than to wait for the payment deadline to pass.
Are scholarships available to cover the cost of dues?
Some sorority organizations do offer scholarships to pay for member’s dues. In addition, some alumnae members may sponsor a member’s dues. All this will vary on the organization and the chapter. This is something to ask sorority women during recruitment to get additional details.