The national rule
Service is one of the five NJHS pillars, with scholarship, leadership, character and citizenship. It means voluntary contributions done without compensation. Chapters can ask for service to the school, the community or both, and each chapter sets its own requirements. Members' obligations can include chapter meetings, chapter service projects and individual service hours, and your adviser should give new members a written copy. Chapter dues, if there are any, cannot be more than $20 a year.
Who can join
Chapters can consider students in grades 6 to 9 who have completed one semester at the school: sixth graders in their second semester, and ninth graders only at a middle-level school with a chapter (not at a 9-12 high school). The national minimum GPA is 85, B or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and chapters can set it higher. A five-member faculty council selects members by majority vote, and each chapter publishes its selection procedure, for example in the school handbook or on the school website.
What real chapters ask
From chapter pages we checked in October 2026. Yours may ask for something else: your chapter's own rules are the ones that count, so ask your adviser for them in writing.
| Chapter | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Bull Run Middle School (Virginia) | About 10 hours a semester, 20 a year, including 3 that directly help the school. Summer hours count. |
| Narragansett Pier School (Rhode Island) | To apply in grade 7 or 8: at least 12 hours of approved service from July through March, verified by an adult who is not a parent. |
| Curtis Corner Middle School (Rhode Island) | To apply: 15 hours of volunteer work outside school hours. |
What counts as service
Nationally, service is voluntary and unpaid. Your chapter decides the rest: whether some hours must help the school (Bull Run asks for 3), who can verify them (at Narragansett Pier, an adult who is not a parent) and which months count. When in doubt, ask your adviser before you start.
How to record your hours
Write down each activity the day you do it, with the date, the place, what you did, the hours and the supervisor, and get their signature or email. Turn hours in by each deadline; Bull Run, for example, collects them in December and April.
Changing schools and moving up
If you transfer, your membership moves with you: your adviser or principal sends a letter to the new chapter, and you have one semester to meet its standards. Full-time homeschooled students are not eligible for NJHS, but may be for a homeschool honor society.
NJHS membership does not carry over to the National Honor Society. In high school you go through your NHS chapter's selection, open to grades 10 to 12. The habit carries over, though: chapters there ask for 15 to 30 hours to apply.
Keep your own record, free
Your chapter's form is the official record; keep your own copy too, with the date, the hours and who supervised you. Print the free volunteer hours log, give supervisors a verification letter to sign, or track it in My Award Tracker: pick the My school or club requirement goal, enter your chapter's number and see the hours left and the weekly pace you need.
Other honor societies and clubs: see honor society and club service hours.
Frequently asked questions
How many service hours do you need for NJHS?
There is no national number: each chapter sets its own. Chapters we checked ask for 12 to 20 hours a year.
What grades can join the National Junior Honor Society?
Chapters can consider students in grades 6 to 9 after one semester at the school. Sixth graders must be in their second semester, and ninth graders can join only at a middle-level school with a chapter.
What GPA do you need for NJHS?
At least a cumulative 85, B or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale nationally. Chapters can set a higher GPA.
How much are NJHS dues?
Chapters that charge dues cannot charge more than $20 a year.
Does NJHS count for NHS in high school?
No. NJHS and NHS are separate programs, and NJHS membership does not convert to NHS membership.
What happens to my NJHS membership if I change schools?
It transfers. Your adviser or principal sends a letter to the new chapter, and you have one semester to meet its standards.