Fraternity and Sorority Life Program Fee

Boise State University leadership approved a Fraternity and Sorority Life Program Fee for implementation in fall 2019. The fee is in place to assist with efforts to meet the current needs of our growing community and continue to build a sustainable future for a positive, value-added fraternity and sorority program at the university.

Boise State University leadership approved an increase to the Fraternity and Sorority Life Program Fee in spring 2022, with an implementation date of fall 2022. This increase will raise the program fee from $35.00 to $70.00 per student, per semester. This fee increase is in response to and in support of our growing community. With over 2,000 members across 24 chapters, the current needs of our community have grown. The fall 2022 fee increase will provide additional resources, programming, support, and infrastructure for the fraternity and sorority life community. More details about the fee and this increase can be found below.

Beginning in fall semester 2022, a supplemental program fee will be charged to all active fraternity and sorority members at a rate of $70.00 per student, per semester.

The fee will be charged twice a year, once in the fall semester and a second time in the spring semester. It will appear on your student financial account, accessed through your myBoiseState dashboard, on the Saturday before classes begin.

You can pay your fee through your student financial account, accessed through your my.boisestate.edu dashboard. Chapters and councils will not be responsible for collecting the fee.

The fee will be charged to any member with active status as determined by your chapter and as indicated on membership rosters on file with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

In keeping with the university’s commitment to expand access to programs and services for students with financial need, students who are eligible for a Pell Grant (as indicated through FAFSA documentation) receive an automatic exemption from the fee. Students who demonstrate an additional level of need (but are not Pell Grant eligible) can apply for a partial exemption of the fee. Additional information about how to apply for the exemption can be found through the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

New members will not be charged the fee until their second semester as active members of their chapter.

Students in the fraternity and sorority community have consistently asked for additional support. However, budget dollars have strained to meet the growing needs of our fraternity and sorority community. The fee increase will enable the Student Involvement and Leadership Center the ability to maintain a long-term funding model and sustainable budget for the Fraternity and Sorority Life program as the community grows in both memberships and chapter expansion.

Boise State’s fraternity and sorority community has grown significantly in a short number of years. In 2012, 325 students belonged to 12 chapters. When the program fee was initially established in 2019, over 1,700 students were members of 21 chapters. Today, more than 2,000 students are members of 24 chapters. Membership in fraternities and sororities is anticipated to continue rising in the future, with multiple chapters set to join the community in the coming years.

Funds from the fee will be used to scale staffing, community programming, assessment initiatives, and accountability mechanisms necessary to account for a 355% growth in fraternity
and sorority participation over the last ten years.

Yes, supplemental fees for fraternity and sorority programs are common on campuses across the country and have been used to exclusively fund Fraternity and Sorority Life departments for the past 25 years. The University of Idaho established a fee for their fraternity and sorority community in 2018 at a rate of $50.00 per student, per semester. Although there are more chapters, there are fewer students involved in fraternities and sororities at the University of Idaho. Other campuses across the country have fees that exceed $250.00 per student, per semester. We are committed to keeping Boise State’s fee as low as possible.

Yes, this fee aligns with other similar supplemental program fees already in place at Boise State, such as the Honors College fee established in fall 2018 for all Honors students, which is set at $100.00 per student, per semester. Other supplemental fees include those for Living-Learning Programs and some academic experiences on campus.

Regular feedback will be solicited from chapter and council leadership, chapter members, and advisors to guide the program planning process and annual budgeting of the fee. Additionally, direct opportunities to provide feedback and guidance include:

• A new Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Committee to convene annually and provide staff with guidance on gaps in training and development, emerging and changing needs in the community, and focus areas for the budgeting of the program fee.
• An annual survey of fraternity and sorority members to collect thoughts on their overall experience and specific year-to-year needs.
• Twice a year focus groups will give members a chance to engage staff in open discussion on their feelings, perceptions, and ideas for the community.
• The annual Kick-Off Meeting for council and chapter leaders will provide an open conversation opportunity with the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, and Director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center.
• Executive Boards will continue to be invited to Beginning of the Year Meetings with the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center to share their perceptions and thoughts.

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