When a group of Boston University students were denied approval to form a fraternity chapter two years ago, they took matters into their own hands and started one anyway — with the help of students from other colleges.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Massachusetts Beta-Alpha Colony is a different kind of fraternity. Its 35 members, 30 from BU, also include students from the Berklee College of Music and Northeastern University. It is the first fraternity consortium with members from more than one university.

Founded Nov. 18, 2005, the chapter is not recognized by any of its members’ colleges, according to its website.

“The whole idea behind our [chapter] is that it’s for schools where Greek organizations have been turned away or do not exist,” said President Derrick Taylor, a College of Communication junior.

Its unrecognized status means the chapter receives no funding from any university and is not allowed to recruit members during Greek Week or have an official fraternity house, Taylor said.

Next month, Sigma Alpha Epsilon will grant fraternity status to the chapter, making it a fully functional fraternity, despite its lack of recognition.

“What is at BU is imbedded with the mindset of the classic frat,” said philanthropy chair Mike Soriano, a School of Management senior. “If there is nothing they like, then what can they do? That’s where our frat comes in.”

Northeastern and Berklee do not have established fraternities, and BU stopped accepting new fraternity charters two years ago. When Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore announced in September 2005 he would not allow new fraternities, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter had already begun its approval process toward becoming a BU fraternity.

Despite BU’s actions, another new fraternity chapter, Pi Kappa Alpha, gained BU approval last April, after the Inter-Fraternity Council requested to add it.

“We have recently allowed some new groups on campus,” Elmore said. “Our students requested that we expand, and we’ve done that with [Pi Kappa Alpha].”

Elmore would not say whether Sigma Alpha Epsilon would be allowed to become a BU fraternity chapter.

“We really just try to work with the students to do what they think is in the school’s best interest,” he said.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon is considering starting up similar consortium-style chapters in other cities around the country, Taylor said.