Is NSHSS a Scam?

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive honor society—but students must still meet one or more objective criteria to qualify for membership: 

Because we don’t operate through school-specific chapters like some other honor societies, we use a broad set of criteria to reflect the wide range of academic systems and testing formats across schools and regions. Many students are also recommended by an educator.

Learn more in these helpful blogs: "Is NSHSS Hard to Get Into?" and "Why did I Get a Letter from NSHSS?" 

Honoring academic excellence is a core value of NSHSS. The invitation to join NSHSS, extended for free to high-achieving students who meet our academic criteria, is itself a form of recognition.

However, some confuse recognition as being the sole purpose of our $90 one-time lifetime membership fee. In reality, NSHSS membership includes a wide range of additional benefits, such as access to scholarship opportunities, free webinars, virtual and in-person events and college tours, global experiences like Nobel Week in Stockholm, discounts on test-prep services, leadership programs, a network of like-minded peers and more. 

Furthermore, NSHSS never charges students to apply for scholarships. Many of our scholarships are open to the public, some are exclusive to members, and applying is always free. 

For students facing financial hardship, fee waivers are available, because we believe every qualified student should have access to these opportunities.  
 
It’s worth noting that virtually all recognized honor societies charge some form of membership fee, either directly to students or through school/district affiliation fees. The idea of a “free” honor society is a common misconception. 

For example, the National Honor Society (NHS) charges schools a $385 annual affiliation fee, and local chapters often charge students $20–$50 per year to cover program expenses. 

As a student moves from high school to college to the professional world, the concept of membership fees to join professional networks will become more familiar. 

NSHSS membership offers real value, but like any opportunity, students need to participate in the opportunities presented to truly experience the benefits and make their membership worth it. If an out-of-shape person chooses not to use a gym membership, no one would say the gym is a scam. The same logic applies here.

NSHSS member benefits include: 

…and so much more!

Our active members can speak for themselves about personal experiences through daily Instagram and Snapchat takeovers, showing how NSHSS has supported their academic and personal growth. We encourage anyone to reach out to them and ask questions.  

Email us at CollegiateCouncil@nshss.org and we will connect you with our Collegiate Council Executive Board, our college student leaders, who can share insight into membership opportunities or offer academic advice. We also invite you to explore our testimonials and scholarship winner stories for more insight into the real impact of NSHSS. 

As with any reputable honor society, NSHSS membership is a signal of academic achievement. Whether to list this on your resume is up to you, but including it in conjunction with other achievements, such as a strong GPA, leadership roles, and community involvement can help you stand out in a pool of applicants.

NSHSS and its partners provide real, tangible benefits: 

NSHSS is a completely separate organization from the NHS. We outline the key differences in our blog, "NSHSS vs NHS: What's the Difference?" and in our FAQ.

NSHSS offers individual memberships that are not chartered through schools. This structure allows us to provide continuous benefits that extend beyond high school into college, and beyond. Membership stays with the student regardless of school transfers, homeschooling, or location. It is a lifetime membership and there are no renewal fees.

We clearly spell out our full name in all invitations and encourage prospective members to view our website to learn more. We also encourage students to join multiple honor societies, including the NHS. Many of our members are part of both and share their experiences on our social media channels. 

It's a common misconception that a society must be connected to a school to be legitimate. On the contrary, many reputable honor societies operate independently of school chapters.

NSHSS can be easily differentiated from NHS by: 

While we work diligently to raise awareness about the society, not everyone knows about NSHSS and its benefits. Some educators and counselors are less familiar with those national honor societies that operate independently of school-based chapters.

Membership with NSHSS is based on academic achievement and offers access to scholarship opportunities, leadership opportunities, a network of like-minded peers, and more. Our reach continues to grow each year, and we’re proud to be recognized by respected media outlets and educational partners.

Notable mentions include: