Applying to National Honor Society

Requirements for Membership

• A student must complete 85% of the graduation requirements at a CAAHEP-accredited surgical technology program.
• The student must maintain and have no less than a cumulative 3.75 GPA (based on a 4.0 grading scale).
• The student must have at least a 95% overall attendance rate.
• The student must be a good school citizen and have neither past nor present disciplinary actions.
• The student must project qualities of integrity and leadership in academic and extracurricular activities.
• The student must be a member of AST.
• To maintain membership and receive the benefits of membership in the Honor Society after graduation, an individual must maintain continuous, uninterrupted membership in AST.

Accepting Nominations

• Nominations will be accepted only from the program director of a CAAHEP-accredited surgical technology program. The program director may nominate any number of students per class that meet the criteria.  
• The program director must submit the nomination form to AST 30 days prior to graduation. The nomination form can be mailed, emailed or faxed to AST.
• AST will review the nominations, verify the information submitted and contact the program director for additional information, if necessary.
• AST will make the final selection and notify the program director (by email) of successful nominations. The acceptance form and $25 lifetime membership fee must be received (by mail) from the student 15 days prior to graduation o. 

How to Apply for Gold Student Exam Bundle Packages

• Complete and send in the Educators Student Group Exam Bundle forms, which includes an AST Student Application. Each student requires his or her own student application. The bundle applications must include the student applications to be processed.
   
• Submit all student applications together. Students must be enrolled in CAAHEP- or other nationally accredited program to be eligible. This opportunity is only available to first-time certificants only. Applications must include the student’s residential address, not the school address, to receive an AST membership card, student newsletters, and the monthly journal, The Surgical Technologist.
  
  
• All bundles are shipped to the program director and educator indicated on the application. The bundle applications are processed within three days from the date received. AST processes and ships the study guides to programs by FedEx Ground. Delivery occurs with five to seven days. If rush delivery is required, additional charges apply.
  
  
• The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting does impose a deadline on the prepaid exam application. Please contact the NBSTSA for more information.

Regarding Payment

Do not send payment with applications!

AST will confirm the correct payment total by email within three business days. Incorrect payment will be returned and will delay your students from receiving their exam materials from NBSTSA. Be sure you are referencing the current prices. The exam bundles are processed with five business days upon receipt of payment.

One total payment for all applications is required and needs to be submitted AFTER AST approves the Gold Bundle Packages from your students. Credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard and American Express) offer the fastest service. Paying by cashier’s check, money order or institutional check requires additional time for processing. Purchase orders are not accepted. Due to excessive insufficient funds, student personal checks and credit cards are not accepted. 

How to Submit to AST

• Email: Send scanned pdf files of the applications
• Fax: 303-694-9169
• Mail: AST, Member Services, 6 West Dry Creek Circle, Ste 200, Littleton, CO 80120