UM fraternity and sorority students pose for a photo in front of Main Hall

Fraternity & Sorority Life

Fall Recruitment 2026

Now more than ever, cultivating meaningful relationships matters. Membership in one of our organizations will surround you with people who challenge you to become the best version of yourself while supporting who you are today. Our members are successful students and leaders because they found their people and their purpose in the fraternity and sorority community. Are you ready to find yours?

Fall Recruitment is the most popular time to join a Fraternity/Sorority at the University of Montana (though there are other opportunities as well). See the information below on how you can participate in our various recruitment activities!

Fall 2026 Formal Recruitment Dates

Sorority (Panhellenic) Formal Recruitment

Panhellenic Formal Recruitment is a week long experience where interested students have the chance to meet all of our sorority chapters here at Montana and learn more about their sisterhood, values, philanthropies, and more. We have a connections-based process where the chapters and interested students form mutual connections that determine membership. 

Registration is required to participate in Panhellenic Formal Recruitment and costs $15 to support some of the costs that go in to putting on one of the largest student run events at the University of Montana:

     Sorority Recruitment Dates:

           Registration Opens: Monday, June 8, 2026 at 12pm (MST)

           Registration Link

           Registration Closes: Sunday, September 13, 2026 10pm (MST)

     Formal Recruitment Dates:

           Monday, September 14, 2026 - Friday, September 18, 2026

Fraternity (IFC) Recruitment:

IFC Fraternity Recruitment is a week long series of events hosted by the Interfraternity Council and the individual member chapters. It begins with a fraternity orientation event including all 4 of our IFC fraternities and is followed by 5 days of individual chapter events throughout the week. Membership is based on mutual connection and at the end of the week chapters may begin to extend "bids" or invitations to membership, to individuals that they build meaningful relationships with. Individuals can then accept these invitations to formally join.

Fraternity Recruitment is free to participate in! We highly recommend that you Register for recruitment as it helps us send out relevant information to you throughout the process. Registration is not mandatory to participate or accept a bid.

     Fraternity Recruitment Dates:

  • Fraternity Recruitment Orientation: Sunday, August 30, 2026
    • Begins at 4:30 pm in the UC Student Life Center (Enter through the North Side 2nd Floor Doors)
    • At 6:00 pm we will do a fraternity neighborhood walking tour 
  • Individual Chapter Events: Monday, August 31 - Friday, September 4, 2026
    • Each Chapter has their own slate of events planned for the week. Check the chapter Instagram accounts for more information on dates, times, and locations
      • @montanaphidelt
      • @sae.umontana
      • @umontanasigmachi
      • @sigmanumontana

Year-round opportunities to get involved:

Sorority Informal Recruitment (Continuous Open Bidding - COB)

COB is a casual, year-round process for sororities to recruit members outside the structured fall formal recruitment period. This is a less rigid, more personalized process where you connect with members one-on-one, and allow for a more natural vibe to see if a chapter fits. This processes begins only after formal recruitment ends in the Fall. 

Fraternity Informal Recruitment 

The informal recruitment process occurs all year long with the exception of the formal recruitment days. The informal recruitment process involves more direct communication with chapters.

Living in a Chapter Facility:

The University of Montana is home to seven chapter facilities that house all of our Panhellenic Sororities and IFC Fraternities. Students that join a chapter have the opportunity to live in the facility (after they have satisfied the UM incoming student on-campus living requirement). The cost of living in a chapter facility varies by organization, but is commonly around $5,000 per semester which includes membership dues, room rent, meals, and more. All chapter facilities are independently owned and operated by local or national housing corporations.

 

Expectations of Membership

  • Our chapters consistently outperform other student groups/clubs and living communities on campus in retention and graduation rates. Each chapter utilizes a high impact academic plan supported by campus and national headquarter partners. Additionally, our community consistently awards approximately $50,000 in scholarships yearly. Fraternity & Sorority scholarships are awarded in addition to general university scholarships. 

    Each chapter has a minimum GPA requirement to join and maintain membership in their organization. In addition, each chapter has an elected/appointed officer dedicated to connecting members in the chapter with campus resources to ensure they excel academically. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Involvement recommends potential news members maintain a minimum of a 2.75 to join a chapter.

  • Joining a fraternity or sorority comes with a financial commitment to cover the cost of participation in chapter activities, membership fees, member benefits, and housing/meals for housed organizations. Additionally, all members of the fraternity and sorority community pay a $10-15 due fee each semester, which supports community-wide education, leadership opportunities, and staffing of IFC and Panhellenic.
    Members affiliated with one of the 8 housed organizations pay a house bill assessed by each individual chapter. More information about these costs is made available throughout recruitment. 
    • Average Sorority House Bill (per semester): $3,683.80 (room/board only)
    • Average Sorority Membership Fees/Dues (per semester): $345.60
    • Average Fraternity House Bill (per semester): $3,823.20 (room/board and dues)
    • Average Fraternity Membership Fees/Dues (per semester): $280.50

  • New members have the opportunity to live in the Chapter facility during their time in their organization. All incoming freshman are required to live in the Residence Halls for their first academic year at the University of Montana - based on Montana Board of Regents policy. Depending on the Chapter, initiated and continuing members are expected to live in the Chapter facility once eligible. Students who are interested in moving into their Chapters for their second semester must complete the Freshman Residency Release Request Form and receive approval from UM Housing to be released from this Montana Board of Regents policy. 

  • Members that live in a chapter facility are generally provided a meal plan as part of their house bill costs (this may vary by chapter). Additional meal plan options are available through on-campus dining.

  • The time commitment varies from chapter to chapter and from member to member. New members can expect to invest more time in the first semester of membership as they go through their new member education or intake program. This period is devoted to learning the history of the organization, chapter operations, and rituals; all while developing leadership, time management, and academic success skills. Although it can be time intensive, membership in our chapters should not interfere with academic commitments. Members can make their experience even more impactful by taking on leadership roles, serving on chapter committees, or running for elected positions on their chapter’s executive board.

Prospective Greeks

Welcome to the University of Montana Fraternity & Sorority Community! The fraternity and sorority community at UM has over 110 years of rich tradition on campus. Joining a fraternity or sorority can be an exciting experience to meet new people, make new friends, and explore opportunities to get engaged on campus.

The joining process is either a council or chapter coordinated, depending on which organization you are interested in joining. Fraternities and sororities conduct recruitment and intake events, activities, and informational sessions at various times during the year.

Recruitment is a term used by fraternities and sororities to identify the learning, exploring and possibly being invited to joining one of our amazing chapters.  All UM students, regardless of campus location (including online students), are eligible to participate in fraternity and sorority recruitment. However, recruitment events will require a physical presence.

Please note that many councils and chapters have minimum GPA requirements, either from high school or college, in order to participate in the recruitment or intake process.

If you are interested in receiving emails with important dates and events, complete the Fraternity Involvement Interest Form or the Sorority Involvement Interest Form.