If you found your way to this site, it's likely you're a student interested in pursuing a career in speech-language pathology or audiology. Then you may have heard of or even considered joining the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). We first mentioned NSSLHA in this post, but we thought the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association deserves a proper introduction and explanation for students coming from outside of the field. Note that this post is meant to be informative, not persuasive. I'll leave it up to you to determine if joining NSSLHA is right for you ;)
NSSLHA is a national, pre-professional membership association for students interested in the fields of speech-language pathology, audiology, and speech and hearing science. It is the only student association for speech-language and hearing that is recognized by ASHA. According to NSSLHA's website, National NSSLHA membership is only available to part-time or full-time students enrolled in a CSD, audiology, audiology assistant, or SLPA programs.
If you're not enrolled in one of those programs, but you are currently working toward applying to an SLP master's program, you can reach out to NSSLHA about the possibility to becoming a member or reach out to a nearby affiliated chapter. Keep in mind that membership will also be available to you as a graduate student, so if you can't take advantage of it as an undergrad, the opportunity will be available in graduate school.
NSSLHA members have access to a variety of benefits, resources, and opportunities. Some of the benefits of membership include ASHA discounts. For example, members get discounted access to the annual ASHA convention, ASHA store, as well as products, insurance, and events that have partnered with NSSLHA. In addition, members get access to ASHA journals and a NSSLHA newsletter. Upon graduating from a master's program, ASHA offers a NSSLHA to ASHA membership conversion discount, which consists of a one-time discount of $225 off initial dues and fees for ASHA membership. In order to be eligible for this, you must be a NSSLHA member for 2 years.
One of the primary benefits of being a member of NSSLHA is the opportunity to connect with other students who share your interests. You can join local chapters or online communities to network, share information and experiences, and collaborate on projects related to speech-language pathology and audiology. These community members become your colleagues as you grow in your career.
NSSLHA also offers a range of leadership opportunities for members. You can participate in committees or run for elected positions within your local chapter or on a national level. These experiences can help you develop skills in leadership, communication, and teamwork that will serve you well in your future career.
In addition to discounts, networking, and leadership opportunities, NSSLHA provides annual scholarships opportunities. This includes 10 undergraduate scholarships and available through NSSLHA and graduate level scholarships funded by the ASHFoundation.
Annual membership is $60.
Add your comment