Many of you understand the burden that each active member of our chapter has when trying to pay their financial obligations to help the running of the fraternity. We all understand that mostly all college students, greek or non-greek are generally stretched very thin when it comes money in college. Basically, we were all broke in college and this has not really changed. What has changed is the cost of tuition. Since 2013-2014 academic year Barton has raised the cost of attendance (Tuition, Room & Board) 4% each year. This is the national average of percentage increase by colleges so Barton isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary from other colleges. The cost of attendance quickly rose from around $35,000 – $36,000 in 2013, to 2018-2019 academic year of $41,000. Also looks like it will be up to $42,000 next year. However; academic scholarships did not increase at the same rate meaning most students spend more on college. This makes sense from a college standpoint to increase revenue, as we see so many other institutions in financial struggles. But this does highlight a concern for those interested or involved in Greek life, who might not have the financial means to join. So what do we do?
For young, active men there can be only one thing. We work. We work to pay our bills, like what will happen when they graduate college. But how does a college student find the time through all the studying, extra-curricular activities, sports etc.. Well that’s where we need help. We are looking for alumni, or connections through our alumni in helping meet our financial obligations by finding odd jobs, or weekend projects where the chapter as a whole is able to help each other work to pay off dues and other debts. Any assistance with this program is much appreciated, and we would like to continue this program for many years to come as a way to stay financially stable as a chapter.