The Cost of Fraternity

Fulfilling your financial obligation to your chapter enables your treasurer to fund socials, recruitment, brotherhood events, Push America programs and much more. In the same respect, your chapter must fulfill its financial obligation to the greater fraternity to allows the fraternity to provide leading-edge programs that help to build leading chapters across the country and furthering the mission of Pi Kappa Phi.

National Dues & Fees: The Basics

Many chapters choose to incorporate all national dues and fees into their local dues structure. Pi Kappa Phi’s bylaws allow each chapter to set and levy their own dues beyond the national minimums. Typical semester dues will include other local fees for housing, Interfraternity Council dues, social activities or meal plans. The total amount of dues you pay each semester is different for each university.

Pre-Initiation Fees

The pre-initiation fee is a one-time fee of $70 and is due to the National Headquarters within three days of the pre-initiation ceremony. The chapter secretary is also responsible for reporting each new associate member to the National Headquarters via Chapter Gateway.

Initiation Fees

The initiation fee is a one-time fee of $195 and is due to the National Headquarters with the white initiation card within three days of the initiation ceremony. The chapter secretary or historian should keep the gold initiation card for the chapter’s records.The chapter secretary is also responsible for reporting each new initiate to the National Headquarters via Chapter Gateway.

Membership Dues

Membership dues are required by Supreme Law and are currently set at $130 per year ($65 per semester) per man for chartered chapters and $40 per year ($20 per semester) per man for associate chapters. Member dues are billed twice per year — once in February (due March 15) and again in September (due before October 30). Associate members are not billed membership dues during the semester they pay a pre-initiation fee. All initiated members (including suspended members) are required to pay annual membership dues. It is important to note there is no such thing as inactive status within Pi Kappa Phi. 

Insurance Billings

Insurance billings are based on a premium per man, which is currently set at $180. This rate can fluctuate from year to year and is set by the National Council in March for the upcoming academic year. General Liability Insurance is billed in April and due on September 21. Chapters that pay their insurance by May 21 receive a 10 percent early payment discount. Your chapter roster is used to determine total insurance amount owed, and updates to your roster can be made through May 21. After that date no changes can be made and the chapter will incur the amount based on your roster at that time. All members (initiated, associate and suspended) with the exception of graduating seniors are required to pay insurance premiums. Your coverage is valid for the academic year beginning September 21.

Insurance protects your chapter, officers and members, the housing corporation as well as the national fraternity and appointed volunteers, from claims arising out of bodily injury and property damage occurring at the premises or at chapter functions away from the premises. Its also protects against claims arising out of libel, slander, false arrest, invasion of privacy, eviction from the premises, consumption of food and beverages and incidental malpractice. Additionally for undergraduate members, Member Accident Protection is offered to complement health insurance for certain accidents incurred during the undergraduate term. It is important to note that insurance coverage will be compromised, if not voided all together, if chapters or individuals are found to be in violation of the FIPG Risk Management Policy.

Fall New Member Insurance

Fall new member insurance provides coverage for the newest members of the fraternity who were not included in the previous (April) billing. This premium is always half of the General Liability Insurance premium and currently it is set at $90 per new member. Fall New Member Insurance is billed once each year in January and is due on March 15. Discounts are not available for Fall New Member Insurance. Your chapter roster is used to determine the total amount owed, and updates to your roster of new members from the fall can be made through March 1. After that date no changes can be made and the chapter will incur the amount based on the roster at that time.

Membership is for Life

In Pi Kappa Phi, we place a large emphasis on understanding the financial obligations of membership prior to joining. Once an associate member makes the commitment be initiated into a chapter, he is expected to fulfill a financial obligation for the full tenure of his undergraduate education.

Every associate and brother should be aware of the following and all other local costs before making a lifelong commitment to Pi Kappa Phi.

Prospective members and brothers often find that creating a four or five-year, personal budget will aid in determining whether or not Pi Kappa Phi is affordable for them. This is best done prior to being initiated, because again, once initiated there is an expectation to uphold the financial burden of the chapter and the national organization.