By Unless you’ve got a rich family lining your pockets with cash, chances are you’re stuck working a part-time job, just to buy the instant noodle soup you’re eating for dinner.
What would the college experience be without a tight budget?
Most students don’t have the luxury of splurging on a fraternity or sorority because tuition, fees and books cost the average full-time student more than $4,000 a semester at California State University, Long Beach.
“The price of a sorority is much higher than other clubs on campus, we lose people on recruitment because of the high cost,” said biology major and four year Alpha Omicron Pi member and recruiter, Kasie Dorr. “A lot of good candidates can’t afford the fees.”
Every chapter is different, but fees generally range from $500 to $1,000 per semester, Dorr said.
The official charges include a one-time pleading fee, a parlor or non-resident house fee, Panhellenic dues and chapter fees. New members are also required to pay additional fees in the very beginning.
So what exactly does all that money buy those few fortunate students?
Fraternities in particular have grown to symbolize leadership, academic achievements, independence and community and campus service.
Several fraternity websites claim that 2 percent of U.S. men were part of fraternities.
That 2 percent is a very powerful group.
According to USA Today, all but two U.S. presidents (President Obama and Former President Bill Clinton) were frat boys, and 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives were once part of the Greek community.
“You’re basically buying your name,” senior political science major Christen Martinez said. “I don’t think it’s fair that you couldn’t join a sorority because you had to work.”
Greek life offers students a lifetime of networking opportunities, and CSULB wouldn’t be the same without the Greek organizations that crack up the social scene on campus.
Yet those students who aren’t part of the social scene are left with nothing but exclusion. This exclusion does not happen because they aren’t interested or competent; it happens because they don’t have the resources to pay memberships.
Greek life is helping to perpetuate elitism by amplifying pre-existing privileges and wealth.
A recent study by Princeton University found that white students from high-income families are much more likely to join the Greek community.
Students who originate from powerful or wealthy families join these organizations and help increase the connections of their charter – their particular sorority or fraternity.
Yet, these students rarely extend those resources out to other students who are not part of the organization.
Those outside of the Greek community—who tend to be part of a minority—are denied the opportunities.
On a campus as diverse as CSULB, you’d expect there to be an equally diverse Greek community. Many of the sororities on campus are composed of more than 60 percent white members, Dorr said.
CSULB Greek life has been on the rise over the last couple of years, but still only about 8 percent of the student population is involved, according to Dorr. The more students who become involved, the more opportunities will be offered.
The evidence is clear that Greek life spawns unbelievable opportunities. But, if these organizations want to maintain a respectable image for being fair, they must lower their fees in order to become more accessible to a diverse community of students.
I think you have some good points here: Greek Life is definitely expensive and that cuts out a lot of interested students.
However, I do think you are unfair in some of your accusations. There are countless members who need to work in order to help pay for their sorority dues, because they are first-generation students or student who don’t come from this great wealth that you seem to think every sorority member has.
Many of the fees associated with Greek Life come down from Headquarters in order to ensure working order of the entire system and provide those resources that you identify. Local fees turn toward socials, events, programming, member bonding and operating fees. Local chapters try to keep these as low as possible, but we also want to provide the experiences that our members enjoy.
Greek chapters often realize that their fees are high and do whatever they can to help make them affordable: provide local and national scholarships, payment plans, flexibility with work schedules, etc.
I hope this helps paint a more well-rounded picture of Greek Life and the financial commitment.