NASSP National Advisory List

Welcome to the 71st annual publishing of the National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities, produced by NASSP through its National Committee on Student Contests and Activities.

The purpose of the National Advisory List is to provide information to assist principals, teachers, parents, and students in making decisions regarding participation in a wide variety of program opportunities.

The National Committee on Student Contests and Activities reviews all programs based on the following standards:

Any program that meets the National Advisory List guidelines, as determined by the committee, will be included on the National Advisory List. To provide additional guidance for principals, teachers, parents, and students, the committee has also developed recommendations for evaluating student-related materials in areas such as recognition programs, scholarship search programs, and direct marketing practices.

2012-2013 National Advisory List
The 2012-2013 National Advisory List is now available and features more than 140 student programs and contests that have been reviewed and approved by the NASSP National Committee on Student Contests and Activities. Approval is valid for one year beginning with the publishing of the list in September and running through the end of August of the following year (for example, September 2012 to August 2013). NASSP reserves the right to remove programs temporarily or permanently from the National Advisory List if programs fall below the standards for approval.

National Committee Program Standards
The NASSP National Committee on Student Contests and Activities maintains Standards and Guidelines that have been approved by the NASSP Board of Directors. The standards are used by the committee to evaluate and place student contests, competitions, tournaments, and other non-athletic activities on the National Advisory List. NASSP encourages principals and advisers to refer to the Standards and Guidelines in the process of determining student participation in such activities, and provide a link to them for parent and students. The Standards and Guidelines are also available in a printable PDF format.

NOW AVAILABLE: 2013–14 Student Program Applications
NASSP invites sponsors of student contests and programs wishing to be considered for listing on the 2013–14 NASSP National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities to complete and submit applications on or before February 1, 2013. There is a $145 processing fee for each application submitted. Sponsors hosting multiple programs or contests that have different curricula, formats, or program goals must submit separate applications for each program. An NASSP committee reviews all applications and those found to meet established committee standards will be approved for inclusion.

Why should programs seek NASSP Approval?  Today’s principals, parents, and students are seeking student programs and contests that can demonstrate a level of quality in multiple ways. For nearly three quarters of a century, NASSP has served it members and their students by evaluating and assessing programs to validate their legitimacy and value to students. 

Please download the 2013-2014 Application and Directions to Apply from the links below. 

[PDF] Directions to Apply
[PDF] 2013-2014 Application

NASSP Committee Member Applications
Have you considered taking an active role in NASSP?  Looking for professional growth opportunities?

The NASSP National Committee on Student Contests and Activities has been serving NASSP members for more than sixty years. Today, it continues to provide school administrators, counselors, and teachers with guidance on educationally sound and well-meaning contests and activities that seek to involve middle level and high school students. The Committee works to develop and maintain a comprehensive data bank on student contests and activities appropriate for middle level and high school students by reviewing applications of programs seeking NASSP approval for inclusion on the annual publication of the NASSP National Advisory List.

NASSP is now accepting applications for three vacancies on the National Committee on Student Contests and Activities.  NASSP member principals and assistant principals are eligible to apply. Selections will be made by NASSP staff and take place in the fall. Selected members begin their terms following Board appointment in November, followed by the 2013 committee meeting which is tentatively scheduled to take place March 2-4. Deadline to apply is October 1, 2012.

For questions or more information about the committee positions, contact Jeff Sherrill, NASSP Staff Liaison to the Committee, email sherrillj@nassp.org, phone 800-253-7746, x325.

Completing the 2012 SCAA Committee Member Application [pdf]
Committee Member Application [pdf]

Do you have questions about Student Exchange Programs or Student Visas?
NASSP endorses the guidelines and standards used by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) to approve inbound and outbound student exchange programs for their CSIET Advisory List. For questions regarding guidelines for student exchange programs and to view the list of organizations currently approved by CSIET, please visit www.csiet.org.

Youth exchange program participants, like all non-immigrant visitors to the United States, are subject to U.S. immigration laws. Educational institutions, including high schools, are subject to immigration regulations with regard to non-immigrant students who visit the United States as F-1 academic students. High school student exchange organizations are subject to regulations with regard to non-immigrant students who visit as J-1 exchange visitors. On April 4, 2006, the U.S. Department of State amended the J visa secondary-school exchange student regulations. CSIET has provided NASSP members with a concise overview of the F-1 and J-1 Visa programs to assist principals in better understanding the regulations and criteria surrounding each one.

U.S. Government Regulations Regarding International Youth Exchange [pdf]