Prospective Members Guide

WELCOME BOILERMAKER FAMILIES

With 90 organizations and more than 6,500 members, Purdue has one of the largest fraternity, sorority and cooperative communities in the country, with members making up about 18 percent of the undergraduate population.

Purdue’s values based, lifetime membership organizations are grouped into five councils: Interfraternity Council (IFC), Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), Purdue Cooperative Council (PCC), and Panhellenic Association (PHA). Purdue University is home to 11 cooperative houses, 78 fraternities and sororities. The Interfraternity Council governs 42 fraternities at Purdue. The Multicultural Greek Council governs 8 multicultural fraternities and sororities. The National Pan-Hellenic Council governs 8 historically African-American fraternities and sororities at Purdue. The Panhellenic Association governs 20 women’s fraternities and sororities. The 11 cooperative houses are governed by the Purdue Cooperative Council. Fraternities, sororities, and cooperatives offer many benefits such as social relationships, philanthropic involvement, leadership opportunities, scholastic support, and alumni connections.

Most parents and family members have questions when their student expresses interest in joining a fraternity, sorority or cooperative. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive and the answer to those questions. Of course, if you have a question and don’t see the answers you’re looking for here, reach out to us at the Office of Fraternity, Sorority & Cooperative Life.  

 
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A PARENT OR FAMILY MEMBER?
Be supportive of your student. Learn more about the organizations your student is thinking about joining, and don't be afraid to ask the questions that are important to your student. Explore this website for more information about Purdue Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life, and check out the websites of the local, inter/national organizations your student is considering joining. We encourage all students, parents and families to be good consumers and do their research before joining an organization. To learn more about the FSCL organizations, check out the semester reports here. Feel free to call the Fraternity, Sorority, and Cooperative Life office at 765-494-5990 if you have more questions.
WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT?
Organizations collect dues and membership fees or house bills from every member. Most groups have one time initiation fees, plus semester or monthly dues. Dues are spent on philanthropic events, social events, scholarship programming, membership recruitment, and parent/alumni programming. Most organizations offer payment plans and scholarships to help their members meet their financial obligations. Cooperative houses are extremely affordable as household tasks are divided amongst member. For more information about the costs associated with a fraternity, sorority, or cooperative, please consult our semester reports as stated above.
WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT? 
Cooperative/fraternity/sorority membership is a significant time commitment. Members are typically expected to attend a weekly house/chapter meeting, as well as several special events each year (such as recruitment, philanthropy events, and initiation ceremonies). Members can choose to take on leadership roles that require further time commitments, and they can also choose to participate in a variety of optional activities like social functions and intramural sports. Education is the top priority for Purdue students, and classes and exams always take precedence over organization events. Many cooperative/fraternity/sorority members do find time to participate in other student organizations and/or have a job, in addition to the commitments of their organization and being a student. Cooperative students contribute to their house in cleaning and cooking on a rotation as well. These duties are split among all members of the house, so it is not overwhelming for members, and it is not the responsibility of only the new members to maintain facilities.
WHAT ABOUT HAZING? 
Hazing is contrary to the missions and values of all Purdue FSCL organizations and is a violation of Purdue policy. The state of Indiana, Purdue University, and all cooperatives, inter/national fraternities and sororities have policies against hazing. See Purdue University’s policy against hazing. Additionally, Purdue publishes the conduct history of our student organizations. Follow this link to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities page on Student Organization Disciplinary Status. FSCL encourages members to report hazing using the “Resources” section of www.purdue.edu/fscl/.
HOW CAN MY STUDENT JOIN? 
Students go through a recruitment or intake process to join a fraternity, sorority, or cooperative. This process varies by council and by organization. You can learn more in the “Prospective Members” section of www.purdue.edu/fscl/. Once a student has gone through recruitment and decides to join an organization, the student will go through a new member education or intake process. During this time, the student learns about the history, traditions, and values of the organization. At the end of the new member education period, the new members are initiated into the organization.

FSCL BY THE NUMBERS

To make an informed decision, you should understand some of the statistics that tell the story of our community.

  • Our community GPA has met or surpassed the all undergraduate GPA for 20 consecutive semesters.
  • We raised over $490,000 for charitable organizations in 2023 - $492,554 to be exact.
  • We gave more than 46,350 hours of our time to the local community through service.
  • Purdue FSCL members report higher levels of overall belongingness than non-FSCL students.
  • We graduate 77% of our members in four years and 88% of our members in five years (compared to non-affiliated rates of 67% and 81%).*
*Note that these numbers are pulled from FTFT New Beginners

Last modified: June 23, 2025