National Honor Society » Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The NHS provides members with awards and opportunities to recognize excellence in service.  The National organization awards more than $2 million to NHS senior members who have demonstrated a commitment to the four pillars of NHS and underprivileged students to college each year.  Additionally, there are opportunities to earn awards within the association at the national and local level for working in their communities or inventing things that aid the community.  Each year, the NHS national organization gives out five Outstanding Service Project awards to chapters that make significant contributions to their communities in the form of construction or beautification projects. 

Being a NHS member is not only a positive thing to put on your college, and job resume, but the NHS national organization has resources to help student members plan for college, a databank of valuable advice directly from admissions experts to help guide them through the process.

At graduation active members have the privilege of wearing special regalia/items signifying their length of membership in the club.

Established over a century ago, the National Honor Society enshrines 4 pillars at its heart: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character. 
 
To be eligible to apply for general membership into the Red Hawks NHS, you must meet the following criteria in relation to those pillars: 
  • You must be either a Junior or a Senior
  • You must have either completed or currently be enrolled in a minimum of 10 upper level classes during your high school tenure. (Upper level means honors, advanced honors, AP or dual enrollment classes.)
  • You must have an unrounded GPA of 3.75 or higher 
  • Student discipline records will be considered as part of character
  • You will be required to have 3 teacher recommendations to attest to your character
  • You will be required to complete an application that encompasses all the pillars
 
No.  Unfortunately you must be a full time student enrolled at SCHS to qualify for membership in the Red Hawks National Honor Society. 
No. NHS membership and induction are a yearly requirement. However, inducted members who continue to meet the requirements will be allowed to mark that on the application, giving them an automatic acceptance into general membership again. In order to be inducted again, and earn the graduation cord as a senior, all requirements must be met during the senior year as well.  
 
Note: As a junior, when you are inducted, you earn a membership pin.  As a senior, when you are inducted, you earn your graduation cord. You must reapply as a senior and meet the requirements for induction again to earn the graduation cord. 
FIRST, GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MUST BE GRANTED: 
  • Members are responsible for $35 in dues through School Cash online. (Dues will cover induction certificate, pin or graduation cord, club t-shirt, and club expenses for induction ceremony.)
  • Attendance at the Monthly meetings are mandatory. Missing more than one in a row will cause you to lose good standing.
  • 15 individual service hours must be completed.  You will be given "check-in" deadlines throughout the year to show you are working on this.  If you miss two check-ins, you will lose good standing. 
  • Participation in the group service project is mandatory. Not participating in the group service project will cause you to lose good standing. 
 
IF ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE MAINTAINED OR MET WITHIN THE DEADLINE - MEMBERS WILL BE INDUCTED IN APRIL. 
1. You must complete 15 hours of service per year. These do not need to be activities that you do only for NHS. You will be offered multiple service activities to be a part of with NHS.  However, any service hours you complete as part of a club or religious group can also count for NHS. The guidelines for whether or not service activities will count are generally to ask yourself, "Would an out-of-state college/university recognize this activity as community service?" If the answer is no, you should find another activity. 
To submit your hours, complete the service hours form and turn it in to the NHS advisor(s) within the deadline. You will also be asked to show your service hours at 2 "check-ins". If you miss these check-ins, you will lose your good standing. 

2. You must participate in the group service project during the school year, either through donations or assisting with packing food. 
 
3. You maintain the required GPA for membership each semester.
 
4. You maintain the proper character for an NHS member. 
 
5. You maintain the mandatory attendance at the monthly meetings. 
Selected and non-selected candidates will be notified. Though non-selected candidates will not be given any details as to why their membership application was denied. 
Our chapter does offer the option to appeal the decision. In order to appeal, students can request an appeal hearing. This hearing will consist of the NHS advisors, the Assistant Principal over NHS, the student and parents/guardians. 
Please note: appeals will NOT be heard if the student failed to meet all the requirements of the membership application. 
Yes. Your previous NHS adviser or principal should provide a letter of verification to your new chapter. Membership transfers automatically between NHS chapters. HOWEVER, Members must meet the new chapter’s standards within one semester to retain membership. 

What does “get verified” mean?

  • Once a student creates their account on the NHS website a notification is sent to the student’s adviser to verify that they are an NHS member in good standing. Once verified, the student can login to complete and submit the NHS Scholarship application online. Unverified students will not have access to the NHS Scholarship application.

    Tip: Get the school ID # from your advisor before beginning the process. 

What does “good standing” mean?

  • NHS seniors “in good standing” are active members of the current graduating class who are up to date on their NHS chapter obligations (GPA, service activities, meeting the chapter’s expectations for character and leadership). Students should refer to their NHS chapter’s bylaws for what constitutes “good standing” and check with their NHS advisers to confirm they meet all membership obligations.

What is an ideal candidate?

  • An ideal applicant for the NHS Scholarship will:
    • Demonstrate a service mindset by seeking out and voluntarily fulfilling needs to help others.
    • Commit to learning, growing, and making the most of educational opportunities.
    • Take ownership and responsibility as a leader, in title or in action, in school and community.
    • Display perseverance, honesty, integrity, and ethical and compassionate decision-making.

What will I be asked to provide in the scholarship application?

  • While completing the application, applicants will be asked to:
    • Provide detailed information about activities and experiences related to scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
    • Request an Adviser Certification from their NHS Adviser, which acts as a short recommendation form and confirms the applicant is currently in good standing with a local NHS chapter. The adviser certification must be completed in the application portal and no external documents or communications will be accepted.
    • Request a Recommendation from one non-adviser, non-family member adult who can speak to the applicant’s commitment to the pillars of NHS. The recommendation must be completed in the application portal and no external documents or communications will be accepted.

When are scholarship recipients announced?

  • Scholarship recipients and chapter advisers will be notified in March via email. To receive the scholarship, recipients must complete a Scholarship Acceptance Form. Applicants that are not selected to receive a scholarship will be notified via email following the scholarship acceptance deadline.

How much are the individual awards this year?

  • 575 National Semifinalists will receive $3,200
  • 24 National Finalists will receive $5,625 and an all-expense paid trip to DC for Trailblazing Leadership Week
  • 1 National Finalist will receive $25,000 and an all-expense paid trip to DC for Trailblazing Leadership Week

How do winners receive their award payments?

  • Scholarship checks are mailed to recipients’ college/university, and made payable to the designated institution in late July/early August. Checks or unused funds cannot be made payable to the individual recipient.

Is the NHS Scholarship renewable?

  • The NHS Scholarship is a non-renewable award for undergraduate educational expenses.

Where can NHS Scholarship funds be used and what can they be used for?

  • Funds may be used at a U.S. college or university, military institute, or trade school towards qualified education expenses for undergraduate studies. Funds can be used for tuition and fees required for enrollment, as well as course-related expenses, such as fees, books, supplies, and equipment.

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