Can students on financial aid/scholarship afford a sorority?

[SophieA]

I'll be attending college in Fall 2009 and recently took a campus tour of a state university. A family friend's daughter was kind enough to give my friends and I a tour of her sorority and I look forward to participating in rush when I head off to college.

I've done my basic research on sorority housing costs at the school we toured, but I still remain confused. Our family will need to apply for financial aid, I may well be eligible for academic scholarship, and of course I'll be working summers and may well need to take out loans.

Generally speaking, approximately how much more will I be expected to pay (on top of university room and board) to pledge a sorority? Are first years the most expensive?

The college we toured gave us some general sorority housing expenses (living in residence hall first year and meals, etc. at sorority and living in chapter house only second year, etc.), but they couldn't tell us if these charges were per semester or annual. The sorority member giving us the tour said it was actually less expensive to live in her sorority house than a residence hall (and the house was beautiful!). Sorority housing can be paid out of financial aid awards, but only as much as we receive as a financial aid award, so if first year housing costs are double, or dues, initiation, etc., are very expensive, I'm assuming my parents will need to make up the difference. Has anyone else encountered this or can you offer any suggestions?

When we toured with the sorority house, we did get a lot of great info from the chapter member, but it wasn't at all appropriate to ask any financial questions. Thanks!