HOT TOPIC: Are Sororities too Expensive?
Dear Reader,
It has been nearly a month since we last spoke - far too long in my opinion. Frankly if I could speak to you every day I would!
But enough with the sappiness, we’re digging deep today and talking about the elephant in the room. The one thing, that despite years of working hard to make our communities more accessible and open, consistently remains. The numbers, the paychecks. the banking, the finances:
MEMBERSHIP DUES.
Every sorority, whether it be in North America or any other part of the globe, requires their members to pay while they are undergraduates (once you go alumnae, they decrease substantially, and it’s not a requirement to pay; only if you want to be involved in alumnae activities). They can range in astronomically different ways - some campuses even require you to PAY to go through recruitment. This kind of requirement restricts a lot of people from joining our communities, and at the University of Alberta, we strive to reduce this barrier as much as possible.
But talk is cheap, and you’re here to know the truth. So how does our community do this? And why are dues still a part of sororities? Take a walk with me.
WHY DO DUES EXIST?
Sororities are different than any other club offered at the University of Alberta for a variety of reasons. Where other organizations might have some examples of our four pillars: leadership, scholarship, service and friendship, we take it to the next level.
Want to network and gain a bunch of connections that afford you benefits in the future? Connect with alumnae and go on fully-funded international trips to meet other incredible woman across the globe; political leaders, scientists, revolutionists, entrepreneurs, artists, and more.
Want to strive for academic prowess and be rewarded for it? Get thousands of dollars in scholarships; for both undergraduates, graduate programs, and GPA achievements.
Want to make an impact in your community and be the change that makes our world better? Come to professional workshops held across the globe for charitable causes; contribute your volunteer time, money, or efforts to spreading awareness and meeting with national corporations that strive to make the world a more beautiful space.
And all of these opportunities and more are funded through dues.
Across the globe - sisters of your sorority pay dues just like you. Over 90% of those dues go back to your local sorority, to put on programming events (formals, exchanges, fundraisers), to pay for your experience (big/little, badges, clothes), to maintain your sorority’s house (that you can live in, or visit as a member throughout the school semester). And the other 10% goes to your international organization, which funds those international conferences, makes more sororities across the globe, funds academic grants and needs-based loans, etc.
Your dues directly contribute to your membership experience; and not a single cent goes anywhere else.
HOW DO SORORITIES AT THE UOFA REDUCE COST BARRIERS?
Here at the University of Alberta, our dues are substantially less than the thousands of dollars you pay in the United States. Our range is $1000-1899/year for Fall 2024, where in the United States costs average anywhere from $2,000-8,000/year. We also have payment plans that allow our members to pay monthly, semesterly, or in lump sum every year.
Not only that - but we now have a New Member Scholarship (thank you Panhellenic Executive Team 2023) that - depending on how fundraising goes in Fall - pays in part for first-year dues of two newly initiated members. At a minimum, the money is $500 for each member - but it can grow exponentially depending on how the fundraiser succeeds.
Our dues also decrease as you continue past your first year. Our sororities each have one-time payments you pay as a new member (buying a badge, new member education, etc) - once you pay for this in your first year, you never do it again. Making dues as a member decrease by hundreds of dollars.
But at the end of the day, money doesn’t grow on trees - and buying anything as a University student can be daunting and stressful…
Every year, we’re trying to find new ways to decrease our dues, help more people access our community, and ensure that each of our members get the fullest of experiences. With one another, with opportunities, and for their futures. And I can at least speak on my behalf, about how I managed to pay for sororities.
HOW DID I MANAGE TO PAY FOR SORORITIES?…
In my first year, I gained a Rutherford Scholarship; $6.000 total. Alberta is very generous and extremely supportive when it comes to the educational exploration of their graduating high-school students.
I spent that money on my New Membership Dues (at the time, my sorority was $1,150 a year) because it was COVID. I had lost my job as a part-time worker and still lived/took care of my grandparents. Money was tight, but I knew joining a sorority was the best thing I could do for myself - my growth, my independence, my future.
After that, I took on a variety of jobs - always holding at least one part-time, sometimes two at a time. It helped fund my undergraduate degree, but also the rest of my dues. I know so many girls in different sororities who have done the same - and can say without question that it was money well spent.
So to join a sorority, getting funding from your parents isn’t the only option. Lots of our members are self-sustaining, myself included, and have managed to stay financially stable on top of this extra cost. Not only that; compared to other things we’ve spent our paychecks on, our sororities are the thing that gives us the best benefits.
At the end of the day, the only one who is in charge of your money is you. When you take a look at all the benefits a sorority can offer, the people you meet, and the chances of personal growth, I think it’s evident that it’s worth it. But the choice is yours! And I know you’ll make the right one for you because you are smart, capable, and an incredible person.
Until next time!
XOXO,
Tina