When you’re applying for scholarships and grants, you might be wondering if you can use your awarded money for fraternity or sorority costs. It depends on the scholarship or grants you receive, and what exactly the stipulations are on the money you get.
Tuition-Based Scholarships and Grants
A lot of scholarships and grants that are available help cover your tuition. These awards are often applied directly to your tuition payments – you never have direct access to those funds.
Additionally, many outside entities offering scholarships and grants that are disbursed directly to the student will designate acceptable uses for the award funds. Using those funds elsewhere could cause the student to lose the scholarship or grant.
If you’ve been awarded a scholarship or grant that did not provide a list of acceptable uses for the award, it’s possible you may be able to use those funds for fraternity or sorority costs. It’s always a good idea to check with the awarder, to ensure that you’re not going against the terms of your grant or scholarship.
Consider Greek Scholarships and Grants
If you’re struggling to pay for your sorority or fraternity dues, one of the best options is to look into scholarships and grants offered by the organization. These scholarships and grants are generally offered by Greek organizations that have national or international groups.
Check with the leadership of your chapter to find out more about what is available through the organization itself. Some of the grants and scholarships you’ll find through sororities and fraternities are need-based while others are merit-based. Find out what is required and what the money covers before you jump into applying for these awards.
Stipend Awards
In some cases, you may get a stipend award along with your scholarship or grant. This is extra money that you are awarded on a monthly or semester basis. If you are getting a stipend with your award, this money can generally be used for additional fees, books, and even your membership costs in a sorority or fraternity.
Keep in mind that stipend awards vary significantly and are generally given out on a needs basis. Because of this, it’s important to understand what this stipend is expected to be used and to use it accordingly.
Other Types of Scholarships and Grants
When you have been awarded scholarships or grants that do not specify what they are to be used for, you can generally use these for any part of your education. In most cases this includes payments for your Greek membership. Keep in mind that grants and scholarships that do not have any type of specification are rare, and therefore are difficult to come by. However, if you have been awarded one of these, and you have researched it well, feel free to use the money for your membership in your chosen sorority or fraternity.
The most important thing to keep in mind as you’re considering using your awarded money for membership in a Greek organization is that you need to check the rules of the award. Generally, the grants and scholarships you receive are for specific use and can only be used for those purposes. Call or email the awarder to get more information on what your money can be used for before you attempt to use it for membership.
