Introduction To Fraternity Life At the University of South Florida

For many new students, learning more about Greek life is integral to their college experience.

The Greek life experience is new to many incoming first-year students, and the prospect of joining a fraternity can be intimidating.

To help you better understand fraternities’ role in campus life at the University of South Florida, here are answers to some common questions we hear from USF students.

Are fraternities popular at the University of South Florida?

Yes, fraternities are popular at the University of South Florida.

USF has over two dozen fraternities for students to choose from, and around 8% of undergraduates participate in Greek life on campus.

While the percentage sounds small, that amounts to over 3,700 students in one of the many sororities and fraternities available at the University of South Florida.

Fraternity life provides a convenient opportunity to create life-long friendships with members of all ages, including alumni. Fraternities promote brotherhood, leadership, scholarship, philanthropy, and financial responsibility.

How many fraternities are there at USF?

There are 25 fraternities at the University of South Florida

That includes traditional Greek chapters and multicultural and academic organizations that the Center for Student Involvement manages.

All Greek organizations at USF are governed by one of four governing councils, which coordinate Greek activities and serve as a liaison between the individual chapters and the university. These governing councils include traditional Greek boards and commissions specific to multicultural and academic sororities and fraternities on campus.

The three councils that govern fraternity life at the University of South Florida are the Interfraternity Council, the National Panhellenic Council, and the Multicultural Greek Council.

The Interfraternity Council is specific to fraternities, while the National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council govern both fraternities.

The 15 fraternities governed by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) at the University of South Florida are:

1. Alpha Epsilon Pi
2. Alpha Sigma Phi
3. Beta Theta Pi
4. Delta Tau Delta
5. Kappa Sigma
6. Phi Delta Theta
7. Phi Gamma Delta
8. Pi Kappa Alpha
9. Pi Kappa Phi
10. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
11. Sigma Chi
12. Sigma Nu
13. Sigma Phi Epsilon
14. Sigma Pi
15. Zeta Beta Tau

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) governs historically black sororities and fraternities across the country, and USF has representation for all 9 Greek organizations chartered under the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

The five fraternities governed by the NPHC at USF are:

1. Alpha Phi Alpha
2. Iota Phi Theta
3. Kappa Alpha Psi
4. Omega Psi Phi
5. Phi Beta Sigma

The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) governs culturally-oriented sororities and fraternities at USF, including chapters for Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos, and multicultural students.

The five fraternities governed by the MGC are:

1. Delta Epsilon Psi
2. Lambda Theta Phi
3. Lambda Upsilon Lambda
4. Sigma Beta Rho
5. Sigma Lambda Beta

The other governing council at USF, the Panhellenic Council, governs sororities on campus.

When does the fraternity rush begin at USF?

Fraternity rush, also known as recruitment, is overseen by the governing councils of the fraternities, although this process does vary for the NPHC.

The Interfraternity Council hosts recruitment events at the start of each semester, with the fall semester typically having a larger group of prospective members.

The process starts with online registration with the IFC for prospective members to express interest in joining and submit their transcripts to confirm they are eligible to join, given their undergraduate or high school grade point average. Most fraternities have academic criteria to join.

Prospective members are then invited to a series of events to get to know each fraternity and the members and understand the differences between each chapter. The weeklong process ends with a bid day when prospective members are offered a bid to join one of their preferred fraternities.

Not all students participating in recruitment are offered a proposal, with selectivity varying by chapter.

With so many organizations to choose from, you can join a fraternity that best suits you! The process of joining varies from each Council. Learn more about joining at the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) website.

How much does it cost to join a fraternity at USF?

Students interested in joining a fraternity at the University of South Florida can expect to pay at least a few hundred dollars each semester in chapter dues.

These dues include costs for the local and national chapters of the fraternity, as well as fees to cover social events, initiation, and any chapter-specific events.

Typically new members have higher dues than active members to cover the expenses for joining.

These fees do not cover the cost of housing if the fraternity is one of the few that has a house within USF’s Greek Village.

Those costs are paid through University Housing and are in addition to chapter dues. Nor do the fees cover the cost of many of the social events hosted by the fraternity throughout the year.

For some students, the cost of joining and maintaining active membership in a fraternity may be impactful, and expenses should be heavily considered during the recruitment process.

Do fraternities have their own houses at USF?

The University of South Florida has a Greek Village on campus that houses 12 Greek chapters in two and three-story houses on the north side of the USF campus.

Most Greek Village houses serve sororities, with only two homes for fraternities.

The fraternities at USF that have homes within Greek Village are:

1. Sigma Nu
2. Zeta Beta Tau

The entire village only provides housing for 340 students, which isn’t enough to house all members of the chapters that do have houses on campus.

To supplement these housing options, many fraternity members end up renting off-campus apartments or homes to live with other members of their chapter. These houses serve as a defacto chapter house, even if they are not formally recognized by the national chapter of the fraternity or the university.

Halo 46 is a fully-furnished, resort-style apartment community designed for University of South Florida students.

Other housing options at the University of South Florida

When Greek and non-Greek students are looking for off-campus housing with easy access to campus and a range of floor plan options, Halo 46 is the ideal choice!

Halo 46 offers fully-furnished two, three, four, and five-bedroom apartments specifically designed for University of South Florida students and is located just blocks from the northern edge of the USF campus, north of Greek Village, at 14500 N 46th Street.

Residents can enjoy a resort-style pool, gaming courtyard, 24-hour fitness center, study rooms, a computer lounge, pet park, and onsite management and maintenance team.

If you are interested in learning more about availability, roommate matching, and pricing at Halo 46, please contact the team today at (813) 358-5957!