Who Do You Want To Be?
With chapters on campuses across North America, Beta is always looking to meet potential new members who are living its values and worthy of wearing the badge. If you’re looking for a different kind of fraternity experience filled with like-minded men who prioritize mutual assistance, intellectual growth, trust, responsible conduct, and integrity, Beta Theta Pi may be right for you. Our fraternity’s focus on brotherhood, personal growth and creating a sense of home amongst members has led Beta to thrive for over 180 years. We hope you’re interested in helping continue this great legacy and look forward to hearing from you!
Privileges and Responsibilities of Membership
The Fraternity is committed to developing men of principle for a principled life. It believes in selecting outstanding young men and making good men better. This is Beta’s pledge to you — that your collegiate experience will better prepare you for your life and career after college — while your pledge to Beta Theta Pi is to be an active and devoted member both during your college years as well as in your many years as an alumnus.
Eight Benefits of Joining a Fraternity Like Beta (and Three Cons, too)
Benefit One
Lifelong Friendships
Men of all ages, especially those embarking on their college journey, need connection and a place where they can just be themselves – a family of choice. Individuals from all walks of life find that sense of belonging in Beta because of its focus on developing close, meaningful relationships.
Benefit Two
A More Fulfilling College Experience
Research shows fraternity membership results in higher levels of student engagement, collaborative learning, student-faculty interactions, and involvement in curricular and co-curricular activities. Members report being more satisfied with their college experience overall.
Benefit Three
Community Connection
Community service and philanthropy are a significant part of fraternity life and offer members the opportunity to take part in volunteerism while also spending time with friends. Beta Theta Pi doesn’t have an official philanthropic partner, so members and chapters can choose to give back to causes they are passionate about or where they may have the most significant impact locally.
Benefit Four
Leadership Opportunities
Members often hold significant leadership roles both in and out of the brotherhood. Dozens of Betas are elected as student body or interfraternity council president on their campuses each year. In contrast, many more build new skills (or strengthen existing ones), plan significant events and run the organization’s day-to-day operations.
Benefit Five
An Extensive Network
With 140,000 living alumni, the Beta brotherhood is vast. Members are instantly plugged into this network, which may assist in finding a collegiate mentor, accelerating future career and financial endeavors, or fostering community across the globe. It never hurts to be associated with a group of high achievers.
Benefit Six
Academic Assistance
Most fraternities require you to prioritize academics through a minimum GPA (that’s why you’re in college in the first place, after all). Opportunities for study groups and networking with members who share your major are a plus, too. Studies show fraternities members are 20% more likely to graduate than non-members, in fact!
Benefit Seven
Sense of Belonging
Adapting to college life is challenging as it’s nearly everyone’s first experience away from home. It is easy to feel lost or lonely in that type of situation. Fraternities provide an extra sense of comfort with their built-in social networks and focus on developing relationships.
Benefit Eight
Build Your Resume
Not only might your resume catch the eye of a prospective employer who is also a member, but the skills you build throughout your time in a fraternity – teamwork, time management, conflict resolution and event planning, to name a few – are unmatched elsewhere on a college campus.
Con One
Stigma
Some people refuse to see the value of fraternities and see them as nothing more than buying your friends. To them, the experience is about nothing more than Animal House antics. Sometimes they’re right, especially if a group abuses substances or hazes. It’s up to leading fraternities like Beta to prove them wrong.
Con Two
Time Commitment
There’s no doubt about it: Fraternities can be time-consuming. They involve weekly meetings, frequent social events, seasonal intramurals, ongoing service projects, and more. Most Beta chapters will say, “You can be as involved as you want to be.” That’s true, but even a minimum commitment can feel like a real investment to some.
Con Three
Costs
While dues vary among chapters, it’s common for annual fraternity dues to exceed $500. If this is a concern for you, talk it over with the local chapter president. Some groups, like Beta, offer need-based or merit tuition scholarships to help make the experience more affordable.
Beta’s New Member Experience
Beta Theta Pi rejects hazing as a part of fraternity life and instead emphasizes an educational experience that is morally uplifting and intellectually stimulating. The Beta ritual should be the critical ingredient of a distinctive and enduring lifelong experience of brotherhood.
Instruction of new members should include a knowledge of the Fraternity’s history, lore, and laws to prepare them for active membership. Initiation marks the beginning of many years of continued education and emphasis on living Beta’s principles and obligations.
Anti-Hazing Hotline
Beta Theta Pi has joined 30 other fraternities and sororities in sponsoring the College Fraternity and Sorority Anti-Hazing Hotline (888.NOT.HAZE). The hotline provides a way for members across North America to report possible hazing incidents. Callers may remain anonymous or provide personal information so that their concerns can be responded to directly. The hotline is housed in the offices of Manley Burke law offices in Cincinnati. Calls are received around the clock on a voice mail system that digitally records the call. The recording is then forwarded to the Administrative Office together with the applicable state hazing law. If you or any new member of your chapter is subjected to hazing, please call the anti-hazing hotline at 800.NOT.HAZE immediately.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Established in 2020, the Fraternity’s Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion counts among its members more than 25 undergraduates, alumni and industry professionals who are committed to ensuring Beta Theta Pi leads the interfraternal world on DEI matters.
The Board of Trustees has charged the commission with weaving its work into the fabric of Beta Theta Pi, initially by drilling down on tactical recommendations related to the language, voices and educational opportunities the Fraternity uses to create a culture of belonging.
Finances and Scholarships
Beta Theta Pi seeks to be transparent with the organization’s membership costs. Each member is expected to pay dues and fulfill their financial commitments to the General Fraternity and their local chapter.
New Member (One Time)
Insurance and Risk Management Fee
$75
New Member Fee
$156
Initiation Fee
$297
Total
$528
Initiated Member (Annual)
Insurance and Risk Management Fee
$181
General Fraternity Dues
$188
Heritage Fund
$25
Total
$394
A chapter may assess additional dues to help defray operating costs. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the chapter treasurer on your campus for more information about these fees, which may include (but are not limited to) the following:
Chapter Dues
Funds various operating costs, such as service events, intramural registration, social activities, etc.
Parlor Fee
Fee for all members for use of the chapter facility
Meal Plan
Fee for members who eat meals at the chapter facility
Housing
Rent for members who live in the chapter facility
Each year, the Beta Foundation helps ensure the Beta experience is affordable to all by distributing nearly $500,000 in merit and need-based affordability scholarships. Learn more about financial aid opportunities on the pages below.
Founding Fathers
Becoming a founding father is a unique experience. You can build a positive fraternity experience from scratch on a new campus and leave a legacy for those who come after you. Rather than adapt to a culture that does not align with your beliefs, you have the freedom and responsibility to help shape the direction of a new chapter on your campus.
Chapter Information & Contact Request
Ready to “Go Beta,” or have a young man in mind who would make a stellar member? Complete the form below and a member from a local Beta chapter will be in touch.
