Your Students Run It. You Guide Them.
Illinois HOSA is a student-led program. Your job is to sponsor the chapter, sign off on the paperwork, and keep your members pointed at the deadlines, not to build the whole year yourself.
Affiliate your chapter for the program year
Register your school and add members through national HOSA, then confirm Illinois state dues.
The Role
Guide the chapter. The students run it.
The Paperwork
One affiliation, once a year.
The Cost
$20 per member in state dues, per program year.
The Support
A section advisor and state staff behind you.
The role
The Job Is Smaller Than You Think
Advisors sponsor and supervise. Students plan, lead, and compete. Here is the whole of what the program asks of you.
Sponsor: Be the named school sponsor of record for the chapter.
Affiliate: Complete one affiliation per program year and add your members.
Register: Register your students for conferences and competitive events.
Endorse: Sign off on state officer candidates, awards, and recognition submissions.
Chaperone: Travel with your members to state conferences and stay with them there.
Let students lead. Your role is to guide, not run the chapter.
What students handle
- Chapter meetings run by your elected student officers
- Event and competition prep owned by student teams
- Community service projects chosen by your members
- A calendar the state publishes for you
- Chapter fundraising planned by the students
- A section advisor you can call
Responsibilities
What You're Responsible For
Three areas, all of them predictable. Nothing here needs to be invented from scratch.
Chapter leadership
- Charter or reactivate the chapter with your school's approval
- Oversee student officer elections each year
- Keep your roster current through affiliation
Student development
- Connect events to your health science coursework
- Help members pick competitive events that fit their goals
- Support service and recognition submissions
Conference expectations
- Register members ahead of published deadlines
- Review the dress code and conduct policy with your team
- Chaperone your members for the full conference
- Confirm media releases are on file at your school
New & returning chapters
Start or Reactivate a Chapter
Illinois HOSA has 76 active chapters and added 36 in a single year. A chapter can be started at any point in the program year.
1
Get your school's approval
Confirm your administration supports a HOSA chapter and name yourself as advisor of record.
2
Affiliate your chapter
Register the chapter through national HOSA, then add your members and confirm Illinois state dues.
3
Hold your first meeting
Elect student officers, set a meeting schedule, and pick the conferences you'll attend.
Reactivating a chapter that has gone dormant follows the same path, and your section advisor can tell you what your school already has on file.
Affiliation is completed through national HOSA and confirmed by the Illinois state office.
Costs & deadlines
What It Costs, and When It's Due
No surprises. One fee per member, one affiliation, one calendar.
$20 per person, per year
Illinois state dues are $20 per member per program year, paid alongside national dues when your advisor affiliates the chapter. Members are affiliated for the whole year, not per event.
What that covers
- State dues for the full program year
- Eligibility for all 50+ competitive events
- Access to the advisor resource library
- Recognition and scholarship eligibility
$20
State dues
Per member, per program year, paid with affiliation.
Nov 1
Affiliation target
Affiliate early so your members can compete in the spring.
8
Sections
Every chapter is supported by one of eight section advisors.
March
State conference
The State Leadership Conference anchors the spring calendar.
Fall conference
Fall Leadership Conference
One day in October and your officer team comes back trained, briefed on this year's competitive events, and knowing what the year looks like.
9:00 AM arrival · Kickoff at 9:30 AM · Conference ends at 12:00 PM
Registration closes September 28
Register through the HOSA CMS portal
Northern Area
October 6
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, Palos Hills, Illinois
Southern Area
October 7
Normal Community High School, Normal, Illinois
What to bring
- Your affiliated member roster
- Signed school travel and conduct forms
- Business Casual for conference attendees
What to expect
- Illinois HOSA updates and the competitive events lineup
- Officer and leadership workshops for students
- Advisor sessions on affiliation and competition
- 2.25 CPDUs for the advisor and an Illinois HOSA T-shirt
Advisors need to register using the HOSA CMS portal. Click Register for FLC to login and register for FLC. Registration is submitted by the advisor of record, and your chapter must be affiliated for the current program year to attend.
Student attendance is limited to 2 chapter officers per school, and space at each location is capped, so register early to secure your chapter's spot.
Resources
Everything in One Place
Forms, handbooks, and the Illinois documents you'll be asked for all year.
Chapter formation
- Advisor & Chapter ApplicationDoc
- New to HOSA? Start Here!External
- HOSA’s Affiliation System and Conference Management SystemExternal
- Sample Bylaws for Local ChaptersPDF
- HOSA Brand GuideExternal
- HOSA CertificatesExternal
- HOSA Advisor Development ProgramExternal
- HOSA Store – Awards UnlimitedExternal
- Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)External
Competition
Chapter operations
Classroom Resources
Partnership Activities
Illinois-specific documentation
Support
Your Section Advisor
Illinois is organized into eight sections. Yours is the first call for affiliation questions, competition prep, and starting a chapter.
Section 1
Northern Illinois
Cook · Lake · DuPage
Dr. Nana Bonsu · Section Advisor
Section 2
Northwest Suburbs
McHenry · Kane · Kendall
Amanda Long · Section Advisor
Section 3
West Central
Rock Island · Peoria · Tazewell
Laura Turngren · Section Advisor
Section 4
Central Illinois
Champaign · Vermilion · Douglas
Karen Koester · Section Advisor
Section 5
Metro East
Madison · St. Clair · Monroe
Open · Section Advisor
Section 6
Southern Illinois
Jackson · Williamson · Union
Joel Swanson · Section Advisor
Section 7
Capital Region
Sangamon · Logan · Menard
Kristin Wegener · Section Advisor
Section 8
Collar Counties
Will · Grundy · Kankakee
Open · Section Advisor
County assignments are being confirmed with the state office. If you're unsure which section your school belongs to, contact the Illinois HOSA state office.
Advisors
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Eight section advisors, a full state staff, and 76 chapters that have already done what you're about to do.
New chapters can be started at any point in the program year.