With new aid, bonds of sisterhood may come at cheaper price

Greek leaders at Penn are trying to make sorority life a bit less expensive.

This semester, the Panhellenic Council, which oversees all sororities on campus, is offering two $200 scholarships to sorority members who joined a chapter last year.

Next semester, anyone who is interested in rushing a sorority will be eligible to apply for the dues scholarship.

Dues, which range from $300 to $600 per semester, depending on the sorority, are not part of University financial-aid packages.

Dues "almost make you quantify your friends," said College sophomore Elena Stein, who is in Alpha Chi Omega and not on financial aid. "It cuts into the money that I spend for other social things."

College sophomore Peggy Feeley, who is in Alpha Phi and is thinking of applying for the scholarship, added that "some people end up quitting fraternities and sororities because they just don't want to pay. If they had a source . help pay, it would help retain members."

The scholarship is intended to "encourage those who would reject Greek life for financial reasons to look at it again," said Wharton junior and Panhel treasurer Angela Hu, the driving force behind the scholarship.

Although dues scholarships are already available through local and national chapters, applicants are usually required to be a current Greek member in order to apply.

As a result, Panhel created the new scholarship so that even prospective sisters would be able to receive financial help.

Once in a sorority, recipients of Panhel's scholarship will also be allowed to apply for additional local or national funds.

Thus, finding aid "is a lot easier after that first semester" of being in a sorority, said College senior and Panhel President Alex Tryon.

The money for Panhel's scholarship is coming from Panhel's funds, which come from dues paid by sorority chapters.

"We were just looking at our budget this year and saw we had a little bit of flexibility," Tryon said of the Council's ability to make the scholarship feasible.

Applicants will be evaluated by a committee made up of members of Panhel, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and local chapters.

The committee will pick candidates based on self-demonsrated financial need, as well as academic record and commitment to Greek and campus life.

Applications are available on Panhel's Web site, Upennpanhellenic.org, and are due Oct. 17.

Recipients will be contacted on Nov. 21.

Comments (2)

What this article lacks is a look into other costs that Panehl and OFSA hide. Each Greek member pays a $70 fee in their tuition bill for god knows what, and each woman who goes through formal recruitment must pay a registration fee. Where does this money go? That money should go to pay for frivolous items that are constantly pushed on sisters. While the new scholarship program is a great idea, there are many ways to combat the financial burden Greek life has on every sister versus two luck new members (what about the upperclassmen who have paid at least $2,000 in membership dues?). As a senior, I've had to pay for a Panhel recruitment shirt each year (and each year it is hideous), along with additional "surprise" costs. While I've budgeted my dues for my four years at Penn, I was not able to take these costs into account - Panhel and sisterhoods do not openly disclose full costs associated with being a member. So in sum - we're at Penn, let's use our brains, while most Greeks budget their dues well, Panhel and OFSA should budget correctly.

Although I applaud the idea of dues aid, I am appalled at the reasoning used by some of the members quoted in this article. If people 'don't want to pay' membership fees, then they should not join, especially if they feel it 'cuts into the money that [they] spend for other social things'. The money should be awarded to women who want to pay, value the experience of membership, trust the chapter they are giving it to but cannot afford the entire cost of the one time fee which as the article correctly notes, can be hard to plan for in the first semester, especially for someone on a limited budget. Ability to pay should be measured in an objective manner, perhaps using similar criteria as Penn aid. The money should be used to bring women who truly would not be able to join without the assistance - anything else sounds like it would be wasted! Simi Wilhelm Shah, Alumna Delta Delta Delta

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