Student Advocacy Day
This is your opportunity to help make a difference! Join forces with fellow CSD students and NSSLHA chapters to make your collective voice be heard. This spring, we are engaging in advocacy around the 30-day public comment period for the Department of Education's proposed definition of professional degree programs, which excludes audiology and speech-language pathology programs.
This new rule threatens access to these vital advanced degrees. It also limits the growth of the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology and endangers vulnerable communities who need access to audiology and speech-language pathology services.
What You Can Do
Sign the Letter to the Department of Education
ASHA has drafted two letters–one for audiology and one for speech-language pathology–to the Department of Education (ED), urging them to reclassify audiology and speech-language pathology degrees to professional degrees.
Signatures are due by February 27, 2026 to meet the comment period deadline.
Send a Message to Your Members of Congress
"Your members of Congress have influence–but they rely upon hearing from their constituents directly to understand what they care about. Contact your members of Congress and ask them to urge the Administration to adopt a final definition of professional degree program that includes graduate audiology and speech-language pathology programs.
#NSSLHAstrong! #NSSLHAStudentAdvocacyDay
Organize a Chapter Event
Advocating is more fun when you do it as a group! So why not organize a virtual "dinner" or set aside time during a chapter meeting for members to submit Take Action letters on their laptops! It’s a great way for members to talk to each other about why it’s important for them to advocate.
Need to incentivize your members to participate? Think about offering them a gift card for a “piece of pizza for a piece of their time,” or a donut so they, “donut forget about advocacy.”
Visit our Grassroots Advocacy page for ideas and ways to get involved at the local, state, and/or federal levels in October and all year long.