The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Federal GS Level Upgrade — Member Benefits

In accordance with the Superior academic achievement provision from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, members of Phi Kappa Phi who meet the requirements as described in the job announcement may be eligible for entrance at the GS-7 level when applying for employment with federal agencies.

From the Office of Personnel Management:
Superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) -- This provision covers advanced trainee positions that provide opportunities for advancement upon attaining required job skills and knowledge, require no prior experience, and have work classified at two-grade intervals. It recognizes students who have achieved superior academic standing as evidenced by one of the three methods described below. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

The superior academic achievement provision applies to both initial appointment and inservice placement actions. It is to be used to determine eligibility for applicable GS-7 level positions of persons who have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Senior students can apply for positions prior to graduation and be considered for a GS-7 appointment based on their grades at the time of application. However, some applicants may not receive their final grades in a timely fashion after graduation. Therefore, agencies can either:

• Require that senior students provide evidence that they maintained the required grades during their senior year prior to entry on duty; or

• Appoint applicants based on their claimed academic achievement, pending verification of final grades. Agencies should inform such applicants that if the required grades were not maintained through their senior year, there is a possibility that they may not be able to retain either the GS-7 grade or the position.

S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.