Selling community service hours significantly shortchanges students

Anyone can tell that it is a privilege to be a part of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) just by looking at the name: The word “honor” suggests that its members are principled and of good repute.

Generally speaking, this is the case—students must maintain a 3.5 GPA and participate in at least 14 hours of community service each semester. So it comes as a surprise that this year, NHS members can literally purchase all of their community service hours for a price tag of $140.

Students who buy toys to support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation are rewarded rather generously for their efforts. Every $5 spent on a toy translates to half an hour of service. After they have bought their community service hours, students only need to maintain a high GPA and attend the group’s monthly meetings to remain NHS members.

The school must remember, however, that selling community service hours, in addition to being debatably dishonest, often serves to disadvantage a significant portion of the student body.

It is possible to stay in the organization without buying community service hours. Still, it is unfair to give only the wealthier students an effective exemption from their service requirement because doing so doesn’t treat all students the same way.

Unfortunately, this honors organization is not the only culprit. In the past, some teachers have offered extra credit to students who bring cans of food for the annual Second Harvest Food Drive— allowing those students with enough money to pay for a slight bump in their grades. Whether for grades or membership in an honors organization, students should not be able to buy their way through high school.

These are both good causes. But not everyone can afford to spend $140 to be part of NHS or to buy 5 cans of food for 5 points of extra credit.

And while it is arguable that donating money is as valuable donating time, the exchange rates—in the case of NHS, $10 per hour—are undoubtedly arbitrary. Who has the right to define the monetary value of community service?

Interact has a similar fundraiser—students who make pies for the Holiday Faire get one hour of community service, and the money raised from the pies goes to eradicate polio. Still, at least Interact gives supplies to those students who can’t buy their own, so every student is given the same opportunity to get community service hours for their pies.

Students might be split about what constitutes “true service” and whether donating their money is as valuable as donating their time. But when some students have a choice to donate either money or time— and others have only one option—what was once just a morally questionable action becomes undeniably wrong.