Candidate Fee waiver pilot program for financial hardship waivers
A new program authorized by the Grand Council for the 2025 – 2026 academic year is now available for all chapters / provisional chapters who may meet a worthy candidate who has a financial hardship thus making it financially difficult to join Tau Epsilon Phi.
This limited program will allow worthy individuals who meet various criteria as outlined below to petition the Executive Director for a one-time new member fee waiver of $400. If approved, this waiver will be applied to the chapter’s invoice for new member fees. Chapter leadership should encourage any candidates who meet these criteria to submit an application for the waiver.
Application process / required submissions (Note all applicants must complete #1 and any 3 from items 2 – 5):
1. Applicants shall submit a 3-to-5-minute video of the candidate on campus, sharing a bit of personal background, including the reasons for his association with Tau Epsilon Phi and what joining the fraternity means to him.
2. FAFSA, the free application for federal student aid
3. A list of all financial aid and scholarship applications and which have been approved.
4. A high school / districts federal aid form for free or reduced meals application
5. A letter from the candidate naming any job(s) they will be taking while attending college, the approximate dates of employment, the name of the company, its address and email or business phone number and the number of hours you will be working per week.
6. Any other information relative to the need while attending college.
Please note all applications and materials will be kept strictly confidential between the applicant, chapter chancellor, and national office.
Those individuals who are approved for candidate fee waivers will be expected to complete the following:
1. Participate in the planning or execution of at least one (1) community activity related to the Chapter’s community service program goals and mission, and document the activity with photos and a brief reflection on this community service, its impact on others, and how it reflects the ideals and values of Tau Epsilon Phi; and
2. Provide a signed pledge that as a Candidate and Brother they will abide by Tau Epsilon Phi’s Risk Management Policies.
3. It shall be the responsibility of the Chancellor or his designee to ensure that the required items are completed and sent to the Executive Director within a reasonable and specified timeframe.
Timelines and deadlines:
1. It is expected that once a Chapter or Provisional Chapter extends the invitation of candidacy, and it is accepted, the Chapter’s representative, Chancellor or other, shall provide an overview of the fees and dues associated with candidacy and membership in advance of Candidate induction.
2. The Executive Director, with his operational knowledge of the various Chapter session deadlines, shall communicate directly or through a designee that the deadline for submission for all required and supplementary materials shall be submitted within two (2) weeks of the individual’s induction as a formal Candidate.
3. The waiver applicants’ payable candidacy fees to the Fraternity shall be suspended for the time needed by the Fraternity to either approve or deny the submitted waiver applications.
4. Candidate applicants denied waivers will have two (2) weeks from the time they are thusly informed to pay their candidate fees according to the otherwise established process. This information will be laid out as part of the waiver application process.