Program FAQ
Every question, answered plainly.
What administrators ask before saying yes, including the awkward ones. Where a figure comes from an NSLS claim rather than independent research, we say so.
Getting started
How does a college start an NSLS chapter?
A staff or faculty member at the institution initiates the conversation, the institution agrees to host the chapter and names an advisor, and the NSLS handles chapter setup, student onboarding, and platform configuration. The advisor receives training and ongoing support. Most institutions route the decision through Student Affairs or Student Life.
Who at the institution needs to approve it?
It varies by campus. In practice the decision usually sits with a Director of Student Activities or Student Life, a Dean of Students, or a VP of Student Affairs. Campuses that recognize the chapter as a student organization typically also route it through whatever process governs new organizations.
Can a campus host a chapter if it restricts outside organizations?
Often, but it depends on institutional policy. Chapters are commonly recognized through the same pathway as other student organizations, and some campuses house the program academically instead. Because policies differ substantially, this is worth raising early rather than assuming either outcome.
What if our institution does not have a chapter yet and students want to join now?
The NSLS operates a National Online Chapter for students at institutions without a chapter of their own, so students are not blocked while an institution decides.
Cost
What does it cost an institution to host a chapter?
Nothing. The NSLS does not charge institutions to host a chapter, and there is nothing for an administrator to budget. Your campus provides an advisor and recognition for the chapter; the NSLS provides the curriculum, platform, training, speakers, and support.
Do students pay to join?
Students who accept a nomination pay a one-time $95 enrollment fee, which gives them lifetime access to the Members Area with nothing to renew. Graduation regalia is not included. That fee belongs to the student, not to your institution, which pays nothing.
How is the NSLS funded, if institutions pay nothing?
By students who choose to join, through the one-time enrollment fee, and by optional purchases such as the NSLS Shop. Nothing in the model depends on an institutional payment.
More detail on what it costs.
Staffing and advisor time
How much staff time does a chapter require?
Advisors contribute roughly 10 to 20 hours per semester. Chapters are student-led by design: a trained student executive board runs each chapter alongside the advisor, and the NSLS provides the programming, platform, training, and ongoing support.
What does the advisor actually do?
The advisor is the institutional point of contact and the continuity between student leadership teams. They support the student executive board rather than running programming themselves, which is what keeps the time commitment bounded.
What happens if our advisor leaves or becomes overloaded?
Advisor turnover is the most common reason chapters lose momentum, so it is worth planning for rather than reacting to. The NSLS provides executive board training and a dedicated success team, and because the chapter is student-led, a well-established executive board carries operations through an advisor transition.
More detail on the advisor time commitment.
The program itself
What do students actually do in the program?
Five steps: an orientation, a two-hour Leadership Training Day on goal-setting and core leadership skills, three speaker broadcasts, three Success Networking Team meetings in small peer groups, and induction, which usually takes place in a ceremony.
How long does it take a student to complete?
The steps take around ten hours to complete in total, and members typically finish within one semester.
How are students selected?
Students are nominated by their campus. The NSLS describes this as typically less than 5% of the student population. Students can also self-nominate with a faculty endorsement.
Can the program run online or asynchronously?
Yes. The program is delivered in person, virtually, and fully asynchronously, which matters for commuter, online, and adult-learner populations.
Is there anything after induction?
Yes. Members can continue into Advanced Leadership and Executive Leadership coursework, each available as a certificate track or a credit-recommended track. Learners are given up to three semesters to complete coursework.
More detail on what's included and the implementation timeline.
Accreditation and credit
Is the NSLS accredited?
Yes. The NSLS is an accredited leadership honor society, accredited by Cognia, with credit recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). It has partnered with NASPA since 2017 and with CHEA/CIQG since 2020, and is a Certified B Corporation.
Do students earn college credit?
Not automatically. Three courses carry credit recommendations rather than credit itself: FOL 102, ADV 202, and EXEC 302. A credit recommendation is a third-party evaluation of the coursework; whether it converts into credit is decided by each institution.
How does a student transfer a credit recommendation?
The process varies by institution, and the student registrar makes the determination. The NSLS directs students to their own registrar rather than promising an outcome, and no public list of accepting institutions exists.
How much coursework is involved?
Certificate courses average around ten hours. Credit-recommended courses average around thirty hours.
Credit recommendations are not the same as credit, and acceptance is decided institution by institution. Full detail on accreditation and credit.
Outcomes and evidence
What outcomes have other institutions reported?
Named results published by the NSLS include an 81 percent semester-to-semester retention rate among inducted students at Delgado Community College, nearly 20 percent above that institution’s overall rate; a 95 percent retention rate among students who joined the NSLS at Merrimack College; and, at St. Petersburg College, a retention rate 37 percent above the college-wide rate among 24 students invited to a one-campus pilot. The three measure different things: Delgado’s and St. Petersburg’s compare members with the institution’s overall rate (St. Petersburg’s for a small pilot group), and Merrimack’s is a member retention rate with no comparison attached. Students chose to join in each case, so the figures reflect who participated as well as what the program did.
What do members say about the program?
The NSLS reports that 97% of members would recommend it to their peers, and that 88% of members transitioning into careers landed the job of their choice.
How many chapters continue year over year?
The NSLS states that 95% of its chapters continue every year. The organization has not published a methodology or sample for that figure, so it is best treated as a company-reported number rather than independent research.
Sources for this page: the NSLS FAQ, the program overview, accreditation, credit reciprocity, and leadership education programs. Institutional retention figures are published on the program overview.
Talk through your campus goals
Explore the program, responsibilities, and next steps with our partnerships team.