FAQs | hosa

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you are new to HOSA or have been involved for many years, there are common questions we get asked and we have the answers.

What is HOSA?

HOSA is a student organization for those interested in healthcare. Learn more at www.hosa.org/about

Can anyone join HOSA?

- While HOSA is primarily for students interested in healthcare, this organization is for anyone interested in professional development, community service and competition among peers. Click here for more HOSA benefits.
- You can only participate and be a member of HOSA through your school. For example, if Sally Smith wants to join HOSA, she needs permission from her school's administration and needs to find a school sanctioned adult to be an advisor. Sally cannot simply become a member on her own. Click here for more information on how to start a HOSA Chapter.
- HOSA is for students in middle school (grades 6-8th), secondary (grades 9-12th) and post-secondary (college).

Does it cost money to join HOSA?

Yes. To become a HOSA member, there is a $20 affiliation fee per person. Half goes towards National HOSA and the other $10 towards Michigan HOSA. The $20 dues should be sent to National HOSA directly (548 Silicon Drive, Suite 101, Southlake, TX 76092). You can pay with a credit card by calling (800)321-HOSA.
For Regional Leadership Conferences, the cost is $35 per student and Advisors are free, lunch is included. For the State Leadership Conference, the fee is $80 per person, including advisors, family members and guests. For the International Leadership Conference, the fee is $125 per person. All conference registration fees should be sent to Michigan HOSA (2121 University Park Drive, Suite 150, Okemos, MI 48864). You can also pay online here. For payment questions, please email samantha.pohl@mhc.org.

Do I have to have an advisor for my HOSA chapter?

Yes. We encourage HOSA chapters to be run mostly by students, but an advisor is mandatory. The main role of the advisor is to be the liaison between Michigan HOSA and the students, as well as the school representative. The advisor is often in charge of planning transportation to conferences, paying invoices and registering students for competitions. Click here for a list of Advisor Roles and Responsibilities.

Can I cancel my HOSA membership?

No. Once you submit your affiliation application online, you are responsible for paying the $20 affiliation fee. National HOSA has a strict No Refund Policy. You will remain a HOSA member for one year. Every fall, students are required to affiliate again. The membership does not renew automatically. We encourage advisors to have the $20 from students BEFORE affiliating them in the system, that way they can ensure the invoice will be paid in full.
Please note that you can always go in and affiliate members at ANY TIME during the HOSA season. It does not need to be done all at once, therefore, if you have a student who has not yet committed or given you their fees, you can add them at a later time (they just need to be affiliated before you can add them to a conference).

How do I affiliate members?

To affiliate members in the HOSA Conference Management System (CMS), go to https://apps.hosa.org/#home. You will need your charter number and password to login. If you do not know your charter number and password, please contact Michigan HOSA.
The affiliation process must be completed by the HOSA advisor or by chapter officers with the advisor's permission.
Once you are in the HOSA CMS, select "Complete Affiliation Application." Follow the prompts and fill out the appropriate information. Remember, you must select DONE at the very end of the application process in order for students to be affiliated AND after everything is submitted, students cannot be deleted and you are responsible for the paying the affiliation fees. The tutorial below is a step-by-step process on how to affiliate members.

Michigan HOSA Terminology:

HOSA chapter/charter number: This is an identification number given to every HOSA chapter. You will need this number to login to the HOSA Conference Management System and some competitors may need it for their event materials. If you do not know your chapter/charter number, ask your advisor or contact MI HOSA.
Division: There are three main divisions in HOSA- Middle School Division (middle school student), Secondary Division (high school student) and Post-Secondary Division (college//after high school).
Region: There are nine regions in Michigan HOSA. Please refer to the HOSA Region List to see what region your chapter is a part of. If your school has not been assigned a region, please email hosa@mhc.org.
RLC: Regional Leadership Conference
SLC: State Leadership Conference
ILC: International Leadership Conference
HOSA CMS: HOSA Conference Management System. This is where a chapter affiliates members and registers for competitions.

Regional Conferences

State Leadership Conference

International Leadership Conference

How do I register for a conference?

To register for a conference, such as Regionals or the State Leadership Conference, you will log in to the HOSA CMS and select "Register for Conference." Select the HOSA conference you need to register for.
Please watch the video below for a step-by-step guide to registering.

Where can I find the most up-to-date information about this year's Regional Leadership Conferences?

Visit the RLC Info Page!

When are Regional Leadership Conferences?

Typically, most Regional Leadership Conferences are held in late fall/winter. There are nine Michigan HOSA regional competitions. Check the RLC Info Page for a list of dates, times, and locations for your regional event.
How do I know what Region I am in? Check out this spreadsheet.
The top competitors from each event in each region advance to the State Leadership Conference. The specific number (finalists 6th-10th) is updated yearly, depending on participation.

What is the cost for Regional Leadership Conferences?

For Regional Leadership Conferences, the cost is $35 per student. Advisors are free for Regionals. Regional conference registration fees should be sent to Michigan HOSA (2121 University Park Drive, Suite 150, Okemos, MI 48864). You can also pay online here. For payment questions, please email samantha.pohl@mhc.org.

When is registration due for Regional Leadership Conferences?

Registration for regionals is 3 weeks prior to the conference date.
After the deadline, no refunds will be provided. Late additions and substitutions are allowed. Please contact Michigan HOSA with any changes after the registration deadline.

If I have a schedule conflict with the date of my Regional Conference, can I participate in another region?

No. You can participate in your region only.

When is the State Leadership Conference?

The State Leadership Conference will take place on April 29-30,2027 at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
Specific SLC details can be found on the STATE CONFERENCE INFO page.

What is the cost of the State Leadership Conference?

The cost for SLC is $80 per person. This includes competitors, advisors, guests and family members. State conference registration fees should be sent to Michigan HOSA (2121 University Park Drive, Suite 150, Okemos, MI 48864). You can also pay online here. For payment questions, please email samantha.pohl@mhc.org.
You will also need to budget for hotel accommodations, food, and transportation.

Can I attend the State Leadership Conference if I did not qualify in my event?

You can attend if you are running for State Officer.
You can attend if you are joining a team to either replace someone who cannot attend, OR if they do not yet have the maximum number of teammates participating. In order for a qualified team to participate at SLC, they must have 25% of their original team. Therefore, if a team has someone who is not able to attend, you can replace that member. OR, if a team can have a maximum of 5 members and they only have 4, you can join their team and compete with them.
Every school and advisor has a different policy, so it is ultimately up to them on whether or not you can attend if you did not qualify.

When is the International Leadership Conference, and how much does it cost?

For dates, locations, and details of ILC, please go to the ILC National HOSA website.
The ILC is $125 per person plus travel, hotel, and food.

How do I qualify for ILC?

For Michigan HOSA, the top 3 medalists from each competitive event are the first ones eligible for ILC. If first, second, or third-place competitors cannot compete at ILC, we then allow the "bump process," which we will then reach out to the fourth, fifth, sixth, etc., placings to compete.
You may also attend ILC if you are running for the International HOSA Executive Council.
Every school and advisor has a different policy, so it is ultimately up to them whether or not you can attend. Please check with your advisor and school on their policy.

What are the HOSA Competitive Events?

A complete list of HOSA Competitive Events and their guidelines can be found here. Please note that CE Guidelines are reviewed, revised, and edited by the National Competitive Events Committee every year and are released on September 1st.
What are the CE Guidelines?
- CE guidelines are VERY IMPORTANT! These are essential to understanding how your competitive event will be run, evaluated, and the rules of the event. If you have a question about your competitive event, make sure you check your guidelines first.
- NOTE: Michigan HOSA refers to the guidelines when running regional and state competitions, but because the guidelines are written for the international level, there are some things we are not able to implement or accommodate for.
- For this reason, MI HOSA creates event modifications for each conference. Please read these along with the CE guidelines!

Can I compete in multiple events?

No. Michigan HOSA policy is that students can only compete in ONE competitive event. No exceptions.
At the state level, students can compete in a Recognition Event along with their competitive event.

How many people can compete on a team?

A team must compete with the number of people listed in their competitive event guidelines. For most teamwork events, it is a range of people, for example, 3-5 people. Therefore, you must have at least three people, but no more than five. If you are only allowed two, then you must have two. No exceptions.
What if my teammate(s) cannot compete on the day of the competition?
- This is not uncommon because we all know people can get sick, miss the bus, or simply quit prior to a competition. While it is an unfortunate situation, YOU STILL MUST COMPETE WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPETITORS LISTED IN YOUR EVENT GUIDELINES. Please keep this in mind when deciding who your teammate(s) is or before choosing an event with teammates.
- If this happens on the day of the competition, there are two options:
  1. The competitor can choose to do a different event. Have you been studying medical terminology in class? Then perhaps take the Medical Terminology Test. It enables the competitor to at least compete in something, even if it's not the event they prepared for.
  2. If another competitor decides to drop their original event and replace the teammate who was not able to compete. This replacement competitor MUST decide to compete in one event, because you can only compete in one event (even if you are just temporarily helping someone).

If I am competing in an event with skills, will I know them ahead of time?

At the regional level, Michigan HOSA posts in advance which skills will be evaluated. Therefore, you only need to practice those specific skills for the regional competition. These will be posted on the Regional Info Page. Any other event information will be found there as well, such as medical reading books and competitive event topics.
At the state level, Michigan HOSA will post the skills that will be evaluated the night before the competition. Therefore, students need to be prepared for all skills prior to the conference.
At the international level, they DO NOT tell competitors which skills will be evaluated in advance. Competitors will need to practice all skills in advance, for they will not know what skills will be evaluated until they are given the event scenario at the competition. Practice and be prepared for any of the skills!