LEARNER TO LEADER: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is the largest and only accredited leadership honor society in the United States with over 750 chapters across the country and more than 1.8 million members.

The NSLS exists to recognize, cultivate, and honor leaders while making a lasting, positive change in the world. We strive to help members discover and achieve their goals, and we provide real-world experience that helps ensure our members have the best opportunity to achieve success in their future.

Sigma Alpha Pi are the Greek letters that the NSLS uses to represent itself. Sigma Alpha Pi stands for Success, Action, and Purpose — Success coming from continual Action toward one’s Purpose — all of which are the core of the NSLS identity.

Your alma mater is a proud partner with the NSLS. As a graduate of the school in good standing, your alumni association is inviting you to an opportunity for a lifetime ongoing leadership development opportunity, as well as Alumni membership with the NSLS.

The NSLS Learner to Leader program is a leadership development program designed to help alumni upskill in key areas to grow as leaders and advance in their careers.

Leadership development is an ongoing pursuit, and we want to meet alumni where they are in their own leadership journeys by providing opportunities to help drive their success. With the alumni-focused Learner to Leader program, we have created an affordable solution for college alumni to gain leadership experience to help them advance in their careers while providing a pathway for businesses and nonprofits to identify the next generation of leaders.

Yes. Included in the purchase of this program is NSLS membership and includes all membership benefits and partner discounts. Membership does not expire or need renewal.

The one-time registration fee for alumni members is $199. This fee includes the self-paced, online Learner to Leader program as well as lifetime membership in the NSLS, including a range of member benefits.

If you are already an NSLS member, you have several options. Please contact help@nsls.org or call our support at (201) 222-6555 to review your options based on your induction status or use of other NSLS programming.

At this time, this is an invitation only opportunity being offered to specific higher education institution alumni populations. Follow us on YouTube or tune into our Motivational Mondays podcast for additional resources and leadership development tips. 

Please find information about our privacy policy here.

By accepting your invitation to join the NSLS, you will be well-positioned to maximize your leadership potential and distinguish yourself in the eyes of current and future employers, plus you’ll join a community filled with driven individuals who are looking to make a positive change in the world through leadership.

The NSLS is also the only leadership honor society to offer accredited leadership training and certification, with courses reviewed and recommended for credit reciprocity by ACE and NCCRS.

The experience you gain from membership can help drive your future and establish you as a leader among your peers. You’ll benefit from improved self-esteem, peer leadership skills, sustainable motivation and drive, development of in-demand soft skills, and an expansive network of success-oriented leaders, movers and shakers who are all part of the movement to create global, positive change.

In addition, NSLS members also have access to:

• Personal success coaching
• Digital badges upon course completion to stand out to employers
• Partner benefits and discounts at hundreds of major brands
• NSLS Pay app to earn cash back on purchases

The Learner to Leader program combines the best of the NSLS’s Foundations of Leadership and Advanced Leadership programs into one alumni package that’s broken up into three parts: 

• In Foundations of Leadership: Principles of Leadership, you will learn leadership basics, identify strengths and weaknesses, develop team-building skills, and improve communication and collaboration skills. 
• In Advanced Leadership Part One: Self Leadership, you will begin learning advanced concepts in leadership and utilize the NSLS 9 Principles and Behaviors Leadership Framework to understand your passions and goals, culminating in the completion of a Leadership Portfolio. 
• In Advanced Leadership Part Two: Leading Teams, you will apply what you've learned to a real-world community project while supporting a team to achieve a common goal.

The Learner to Leader program is self-paced and takes approximately 30 hours to complete.

Learners will have 18 months to complete all assignments in order to receive credit for their coursework and access to their digital badges.

All coursework will be led and graded by experienced NSLS faculty.

Below is unsolicited feedback from adult learners who have taken NSLS programs similar to Learner to Leader. We asked for their critical feedback, this is what they said:

• I feel that this course accomplishes the intended purpose to build leaders and prepare them for the workforce and personal lives. – Jordan R., Fall 2022 semester
• I have gained a better understanding of my ability to collaborate with others, organize, implement and analyze success of a community health project, and engage with professionals, partners, and stakeholders for interventions and projects. – Josh V., Fall 2022 semester
• I learned all it takes to be a real leader and make a true impact on the world. – Leonardo P., Fall 2022 semester
• I have been a supervisor for many  years, this course taught me so much that I was missing. I would not change anything. – Liraine M., Fall 2022 semester
• I think the course is great and honestly asks the right question to get each individual thinking about themselves from an out of the box perspective. It is a great course! – Brandon A., Fall 2022 semester

Please click here to have a representative from our National Office Team send you information.

Yes. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law protecting the privacy of student education records. The NSLS takes this law very seriously, and as such, our student data privacy protection policy has been deemed FERPA compliant by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) based on their independent, third party evaluation.

Please email communications@nsls.org to request a copy of their evaluation letter.

For inquires, please email help@nsls.org. A National Office representative will reach out to assist you.

Please note: The NSLS is not responsible for carrier delays or packages lost during transit.

We offer three shipment options:

• Standard Shipping: 7-14 business days
• Select Shipping: 3-5 business days
• Overnight Shipping: 1-2 business days

*Orders placed after 2pm ET will be processed on the following business day. 

If the time frame has passed for you to receive your order, please contact the National Office by sending an email to help@nsls.org, and a representative will be more than happy to assist you.

Merchandise refunds or exchanges must be requested within 30 days of original purchase and accompanied by the original receipt. Requests can be sent to the NSLS Member Experience Team using one of the contact methods found on this page.

After requesting, returns and exchanges can be sent to us at your expense at the address below. Once we receive your package, we will promptly process an exchange or issue a refund following this policy. The NSLS does not refund shipping expenses. The NSLS also can not provide refunds or exchanges for worn or damaged merchandise.

Please Note: the items below are non-refundable:

• Graduation and Induction items
• Personalized Items
• Gift Cards

Our return address is:

The National Society of Leadership and Success
Returns/Exchanges
1233 Findlay Street
Cincinnati, OH 45214

Credit Card Payments:

Credit card payments will be refunded to the credit card initially charged—no cash refunds for credit card payments.

Check Payments:

Refund checks will be mailed directly to your home address if the initial payment was submitted as a check. Please make sure your home address is accurate in your online member profile.

The NSLS partners with UPS, FedEx, and USPS to ship and deliver shop orders. Once the package departs our warehouse facilities, the carrier assumes the responsibility for its delivery.

If you have any questions about the shipment and handling of your order, please contact the carrier responsible for your delivery (as indicated on the tracking link you received).

We offer members 30 days from the date of enrollment to determine if the NSLS is a good fit for them. During this period, students have the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of membership, including access to the leadership programming, partner discounts, an exclusive online job board, and access to apply for scholarships and awards.

If the member finds that the NSLS is not for them, they have the option to request a full refund. After 30 days, the refund period expires and the eligibility window closes.

All members agree to this policy within our terms and conditions upon registration and it is also available publicly on our website on our Terms & Conditions

The satisfaction of our current and future members is our priority. We understand that there may be unforeseen circumstances that make it impossible for some students to continue with the program.

The National Society of Leadership and Success offers a full refund of membership within 30 days from initial payment.

Requests can be sent to the NSLS Member Experience Team using one of the contact methods found on this page.

Please allow up to one billing cycle to see this credit to your account. Billing cycles depend on your bank or credit card company.

Please contact your bank or credit card company for further information.

The National Society of Leadership and Success offers a full refund of membership within 30 days from initial payment.

If the card you used to register is no longer valid, please provide a valid mailing address and request a refund check by sending an email to help@nsls.org.

Yes, the NSLS is a legitimate honor society with over 750 chapters and more than 1.8 million members nationwide. 

• The NSLS is accredited through Cognia, which is recognized as a reliable authority concerning the quality of education or training offered by the institutions of higher education or higher education programs.
• The NSLS's courses for college students have been reviewed and recommended for credit reciprocity by both ACE and NCCRS.
• The NSLS meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to purpose through its certification as a B Corp.
• The NSLS is registered with and maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
• The NSLS requires a one-time fee for members to join and gain access to all of its benefits.
• The NSLS works closely with successful thought leaders to provide members with valuable content every semester. 

To learn how the NSLS has positively impacted its members, you can explore our member success stories.

The NSLS is fully accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED), a national accreditation agency which oversees the sub-regional accrediting bodies as the parent organization of:  

(1) The Northwest Accredited Commission (NWAC); (2) The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI); (3) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)

The NSLS is the only honor society to achieve this distinguished accolade. This commitment to accreditation assures advisors, chapter leaders, members, parents, and the national education community that our institutional focus is on raising student achievement. We provide an engaging and enriching learning environment, maintaining an efficient and effective learning program that builds leaders who make a better world.  

NSLS courses for college students have also been reviewed and recommended for credit reciprocity by both ACE and NCCRS. Through ACE, more than 1,700 colleges and universities have agreed to consider awarding college credit for NSLS courses. More than 1,500 colleges have done the same through NCCRS.

In addition to accreditation, the NSLS is also a certified B-Corp. These certifications are more rigorous than ACHS to obtain, and deeper in certification from the U.S. Department of Education and the national board of B-Corps. We currently offer fully integrated online learning, on-campus coaching, and dynamic leadership development. All of which are elements of a fully accredited educational organization.

The ACHS is a group of honor societies that have come together to make guidelines for their membership. Like many legitimate honor societies, including four of the founding honor societies of ACHS, the NSLS is not a member of ACHS.   

NSLS standards exceed ACHS guidelines:

• The NSLS is held to external standards of performance and impact in education through its accreditation with Cognia (formerly AdvancED). This recognition is more rigorous than any endorsement from ACHS, as it required the NSLS to obtain certification from the U.S. Department of Education.  
• The NSLS's courses for college students have been reviewed and recommended for credit reciprocity by both ACE and NCCRS.
• The NSLS meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to purpose through its certification as a For Benefit Organization. ACHS membership does not require member honor societies to achieve these rigorous standards of making a positive difference in the community, environment and workplace.
• The NSLS maintains university-established criteria that best serves to recognize a distinguished group of their students. Nationally, less than 20% of the campus population at our 700+ colleges and universities receive an invitation, while ACHS honor society standards include 20-35% of campus populations.