To cancel your NSHSS membership, email information@nshss.org or support@nshss.org with “Membership Cancellation” in the subject line, or call 1-866-343-1800 during business hours and ask to close your account. If you paid the $90 lifetime fee within the last 60 days, request a refund in the same message. Past that window, NSHSS generally won’t refund, but you may still have a route through your credit card issuer.
Have These Details Ready
Pull together your information before you contact anyone. You’ll need the student’s full name as it appeared at enrollment, the email address used to sign up, and the Membership ID number from the welcome email or the physical membership card.
Know your payment date and method too. NSHSS charges a one-time lifetime fee of $90, and the exact payment date determines whether you’re inside the refund window.1NSHSS. NSHSS Membership If a parent or someone else paid, have the cardholder’s name and the last four digits of the card ready.
How to Send the Cancellation Request
Email is the fastest channel. Write to information@nshss.org or support@nshss.org with “Membership Cancellation” in the subject line, and include your name, Membership ID, the email on file, and a clear statement that you want to cancel and, if applicable, receive a refund.2National Society of High School Scholars. Terms of Use Calling 1-866-343-1800 works too.
If you want the strongest paper trail, send a certified letter with return receipt to the national headquarters:
National Society of High School Scholars
1930 North Druid Hills Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30319
Keep a copy of whatever you send. If you’re also planning to dispute the charge with your card issuer later, documentation matters.
The 60-Day Refund Window
NSHSS issues refunds only during the first 60 days from the date you accepted membership and paid.3National Society of High School Scholars. Member Welcome Inside that window, state in your cancellation message that you want a refund and reference your payment date. Publicly documented interactions show $90 refunds processed within a few business days of a valid request.
Past 60 days, NSHSS treats the $90 as a one-time lifetime fee and typically denies refund requests.3National Society of High School Scholars. Member Welcome You can still cancel to stop receiving communications, and if you paid by credit card there’s a separate path worth trying.
Disputing the Charge With Your Credit Card Issuer
Federal law gives you an independent remedy when a merchant won’t refund. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can dispute a credit card charge by writing to your card issuer within 60 days of the billing statement that first showed the charge.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – Section 1666 Your letter should include your name, account number, the amount in dispute, and why you believe the charge is an error.
The 60-day clock runs from the statement date, not the charge date, so you may have more time than you assume. Send the letter to the billing inquiries address printed on your statement, not the payment address, and use certified mail.
Once the issuer receives your dispute, they must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, capped at 90 days. During the investigation you don’t have to pay the disputed amount, and the issuer can’t report you as delinquent or send it to collections.5Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
After You Cancel
Expect a confirmation email from NSHSS. If a week passes without a response, call 1-866-343-1800 and reference your original request date. Save the confirmation as proof the account is closed.
Approved refunds usually post to the original payment method within a few business days, though your bank may need extra time to reflect it. Check your statement for the $90 credit. If the original card is closed or you paid by check, NSHSS may mail a refund check instead; one resolved Better Business Bureau complaint on file showed a refund check sent when the original payment method wasn’t available.
What You Give Up by Cancelling
Cancellation ends your access to member-only scholarships, virtual and in-person events, study abroad opportunities, partner discounts, and the NSHSS career center.6NSHSS. Is NSHSS Worth It? NSHSS and its partners award over $2.5 million in scholarships annually, and some are restricted to members.
If the membership has been sitting idle since you joined, you’re not losing much. If you’re an underclassman who might apply for member-only scholarships in the next year or two, weigh that before cancelling. The fee is one-time, so there’s no recurring charge either way.