2016-2017 Fee Structure Announcement

INDIANAPOLIS - The Offices of the Grand Chapter is pleased to announce the 2016-2017 Fee Structure for Tau Kappa Epsilon unanimously approved by the Grand Council. In accordance with the Black Book Division Two, Chapter VII, Sec. 7, any fee adjustment must be communicated to the membership six months in advance of any increase or decrease in membership fees.

Candidate Fee - $75 per man

All candidates must pay this non-refundable fee, which is due within 15 days of bid acceptance. Officers must register each candidate using the TKE Chapter Module. Each candidate will receive a validation email to complete their registration process and pay their fees via MyTKE.org. After 15 days, the chapter or colony becomes responsible for the Candidate Fee even if the candidate drops out before initiation. Chapter officers should use the TKE Chapter Module to monitor which candidates have paid their fee to the Offices of the Grand Chapter.

Initiation Fee - $225 per man ($300 total with Candidate Fee) or One-time Initiation Fee Option - $710 per man ($785 total with Candidate Fee)

Prior to initiation, each candidate must pay an Initiation Fee, which should be done using MyTKE.org. Initiates who pay the One-time Initiation Fee Option will not have to pay Annual Membership Fees for the rest of their collegiate careers. If the Initiation Fee is not received within 15 days of initiation, a penalty equal to 40% of the Initiation Fee ($90) will be added your chapter statement.

Annual Membership Fees - $162 per man for the year (or $97 per man each semester)

The best option is to pay your AMF in full for the year, due by October 1. The chapter or colony will save $32 per man by paying in advance for the full year. If choosing the split option, the first installment of $97 per man is due October 1 and the second installment of $97 per man is due no later than March 1. All returning active members of TKE chapters and colonies are obligated to pay this fee.

Graduate students have the option to be active members of a TKE chapter or colony. Any graduate student wishing to be an active member must pay Annual Membership Fees. Graduate students include all students who have received a bachelor's degree but are still taking classes at a college or university.

Founders Housing Fund Fee - $10 per man per semester

Starting in 2014-2015, the Grand Council took steps to realize a long-standing dream for TKE Nation: to establish a long-term plan to help secure, maintain, improve and re-establish housing at active chapters. This action by the Grand Council incorporates a fee of $10 per semester for all initiated collegiate Fraters, due October 31 and March 31, to be used exclusively for the benefit of chapter housing through the Founders Housing Fund. Any member who initiates in the fall semester will be billed this fee in the spring.

Risk Management Fee - $200 per man per year

As a change starting in 2016-2017, Tau Kappa Epsilon will be billing Risk Management Fees directly on each group's Chapter Statement in the TKE Chapter Module. Each chapter/colony will be billed based on their Fall 2016 Annual Roster, which is due on September 15. If the Risk Management Fee is paid in full by October 1, the group will receive an early bird credit on their Chapter Statement for 10% of their Risk Management Fee, which can be used to pay for any other fees owed to the Offices of the Grand Chapter. The Risk Management Fee is due in full on October 15 or a chapter can make a split payment with 50% due on October 15 and the remaining payment due on March 15.

Chapter Assessment Fee - $500 single payment; or 2 payments of $390 (Total of: $780) per Chapter

The chapter assessment fee is an annual fee each chapter pays to support the TKE Nation ensuring dependable access to chapter services and resources. For 2015-16 it will be due in two equal installments of $390, one due October 31 & the second due March 31, or a single payment of $500.

Conclave Savings Plan - $250 per semester

Conclave installment payments are due no later than October 31 for the fall semester and March 31 for the spring semester. The CSP is a savings plan offset the cost of sending a delegate from each chapter to the 2015 Conclave. There are 4 payments towards this per biennium.

You may have noticed there is a $12 increase in AMF fees as we move into 2016-2017. Fees have not increased a cent for the last 6 years while costs to travel and run our fraternity have continued to rise. For an additional $1 a month next year, you will receive much more value now through the items below.

• Video Series – TKE will be producing educational videos. These videos will aid with officer and volunteer training.
• Recruitment Video – This requested resource will allow you to highlight our Fraternity to potential new members.
• Increased Visits – A healthier budget allows for more face to face interactions and training sessions. You have asked for more help and we will answer your call.
• Expansion – There is no doubt that we want to spread the great work of this Fraternity. We have many campuses that we have an opportunity to expand the values of love, charity and esteem. More groups leads to more connections you can utilize during and post-college.
• Increased Resources – We hope you have taken advantage of the new Recruitment Guide and St. Jude Guide. We will create additional valuable training manuals and guides to give your chapter a roadmap for success.
• New Website – We hope you have utilized the new tke.org. This was created through an investment of a new Professional Staff member. We will continue to add resources to our website and ensure it meets your growing needs. Additionally, we will continue to update chapter websites.
• Alumni Services Team – We are focused on engaging our alumni. These alumni can aid you as mentors, volunteer advisors, and donors to build your experience. The investment in this team is an investment in your current and future success.
• Technology Upgrades – We have invested in new items such as the TKE app and Guidebook. The Guidebook app is a new item at our educational conferences and has been a hit. Your support will allow TKE to continue to improve how you can connect with each other and spread the spirit of TKE.

We have heard, "Does resigning NIC membership and the support of Life Loyal Teke save dollars?"

Savings of breaking from the NIC and support of Life Loyal Teke combined currently saves $3 per collegiate member total. As you can see from the list above, we are and will be investing and delivering more. We need additional support to offset the growing needs and expectations of members such as you. We must continue to build a leading Fraternity and ask the nearly 240,000 proud alumni of TKE to be part of our team. We have 500 men who have joined Life Loyal Teke in its current form that directly benefits the Fraternity budget. There are 2,000 members who have joined Life Loyal Teke over the past decade. This is less than 1% of our total membership. We must each do more to support Life Loyal Teke and the TKE Educational Foundation if we truly want to lower the burden of cost to our collegiate members.

Our Founders fought for TKE to be unique and expected life-long engagement when we took the bond. Together, we can and must create the greatest version of TKE possible. I am proud to share that we have a passionate and dedicated Grand Council working alongside an impactful Professional Staff. With your help, we will build a stronger TKE. A version of TKE with a larger army of alumni and dedicated volunteers motivating a growing collegiate membership all focused on building Better Men for a Better World!

Yours in the Bond,

Donald E. Aldrich
Chief Executive Officer
Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity