All Volunteer Scholars entries for the 2025-26 award year are due by 11:59 PM EDT on Monday, August 31– just over a week away!

If you purchased your membership this month or even within the last few days, the same deadline still applies. All submissions are due by August 31—no exceptions.

We have received more than 3,000 activities in the last six days and are working through them as quickly as possible. Review times will be slower than in recent months, when most submissions were reviewed within 4-5 days.

Do not panic if your activities have not been reviewed by August 31. Activities that are submitted by the deadline with the required documentation will still be reviewed and will count toward the 2025–26 award year.

Please understand that we are unable to respond to the flood of emails asking us to review an individual’s hours, requesting status updates, or asking when an award will ship. Activities are reviewed in the order in which they are submitted for review.

Awards completed early have also shipped early. We have been mailing two award shipments each week since mid-July. You will know your award has shipped when your status changes to “Shipped” and your certificates and official activity log become available.

If you have not completed your award, please review these reminders:

1. Submit anything still in Draft status.
Volunteer Scholars staff cannot review activities that remain in Draft. Submit them as soon as you have the required documentation.

2. Do not submit activities without documentation.
Incomplete submissions slow down the review process. Volunteer Scholars requires documentation from the benefitting organization– the organization that actually received your volunteer service- not the group that organized or coordinated the activity.

We cannot accept documentation from your school, honor society, scout troop, or service club, such as NCL, Key Club, YMSL, or similar organizations, when another organization was the beneficiary of the service. Please re-watch our documentation video if you are unsure what is required.

3. Enter each volunteer activity separately.
As the deadline approaches, please do not combine activities for convenience. If you completed five separate 2-hour shifts at a food pantry, you should enter all five shifts with their individual dates. Entries that “lump” multiple service dates or shifts together will be returned for revision.

4. Check any activities that have been returned to you.
If an activity was returned for additional documentation, revisions, or questions, make the requested changes and resubmit it. Returned activities cannot be reviewed or counted toward an award while they remain in a returned status in your portal.

Award-Specific Reminders

5. American Citizenship Award (ACA):
Remember to enter your required short essay response.

6. National Distinguished Student Leadership Award (NDSLA):
Remember to enter your short essay response, upload your advisor recommendation letter(s), and complete the required minimum of 4 hours of leadership training.

7. Sacred Service Commendation (SSC):
Remember to enter your required short essay response.

8. President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement (PEAP):
Remember to upload your report card or transcript, test scores, and recommendation statement.

When Your Hours Are Approved

9. Complete the final award steps.
Once you have enough APPROVED hours to qualify for your award, you must:

  • Mark your activities “Complete”
  • Select the award item you wish to receive- medal, pin, coin, or patch
  • Verify your mailing address

Your award cannot move into fulfillment until these steps are completed.

Memberships, Certificates & Shipping

10. Do not purchase a 2026-27 membership yet.
Memberships for the new award year will be offered during the first week of September.

11. Certificates become available when your award ships.
Your certificate and official activity log will be available on the date your award is shipped. Certificate corrections will be handled beginning in mid-September, after the deadline surge has passed.

12. Order add-on award items before your award ships if you want them packaged together.
If you order additional pins, coins, patches, seals, or other award items before your award ships, we will include them with your award whenever possible. Orders placed afterward will ship separately beginning in mid-September.

13. Re-opening Archived Accounts. Finally, if you previously marked your award “Complete,” and processing or shipment has begun, your account will be Archived and you will no longer be able to add activities. If you later decide to pursue another award or add additional hours for certification before the August 31 deadline, you must reactivate your account before making changes.

Please review your portal now rather than waiting until August 31. With thousands of activities arriving near the deadline, leaving time for returned entries, missing documentation, or corrections is especially important.