3 Key Benefits of Starting or Joining a Student Chapter

Student Chapters
Published

Summer is nearing its end, and for many, that means it's time to go back to school. This is a great opportunity for HBAs to create or re-establish student chapters at schools with skilled or vocational programs and colleges with construction management programs.

NAHB currently boasts more than 100 student chapters nationwide, including more than 160 faculty advisors and 4,500 student members. And there are several reasons why these chapters are growing in popularity, including:

  1. Student chapters are crucial to the growth of the next generation of home builders. HBAs have the chance to provide hands-on experience and share their depth of institutional knowledge with those who have a budding passion for residential construction.
  2. Student chapters provide a unique, open forum for students to engage with and learn from their peers as well as from industry professionals. This helps foster a sense of community and gives them opportunities to learn from real-world experience and team collaboration. Student members may visit construction sites, manufacturing plants and even participate in competitions.
  3. Members of student chapters have a competitive advantage when job hunting, as employers seek candidates with extracurricular activities beyond typical coursework. When seeking a full-time job, students also enjoy the added benefit of having already met or worked with some of the NAHB members in the area.

See which HBAs already have a student chapter, and learn how you can start a student chapter.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Workforce Development | National Housing Endowment
Aug 12, 2026
New NHE-Funded Tool Maps Training Opportunities Nationwide

ConstructionSkillsMap.org, a new nationwide tool funded by the National Housing Endowment, makes it easier to find skilled trades training opportunities in communities across the country.

Sustainability and Green Building
Aug 11, 2026
Achieving NGBS Green+ Certification to Stay Competitive in the Marketplace

The newly released 2025 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) provides many options for building more sustainably. NGBS Green Certification provides independent, third-party verification for a home, building, or land development. For those who wish to provide even more value for their clients, NGBS Green+ certifications recognize NGBS Green homes that go “above and beyond” in one or more areas of sustainability. Here are the seven certification options.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Aug 11, 2026
Existing Home Sales Fall in July

Existing home sales continued to slow in July as record-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates weighed on buyers. Mortgage rates resumed an upward trend after the ceasefire ended in early July.

Economics
Aug 11, 2026
Weaker Demand for Residential Mortgages in Second Quarter

Demand for all types of residential mortgages was weaker, while lending standards for most were essentially unchanged in the second quarter of 2026, according to the recent release of the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS).

Economics
Aug 10, 2026
Wage Growth for Residential Building Workers Continues to Cool

Wage growth for residential building workers continued to lose momentum in the second quarter of 2026, reflecting softer housing construction activity and weaker labor demand. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both nominal and inflation-adjusted wages have weakened further, extending the cooling trend that emerged after the strong wage gains of the post-pandemic period.