Hello

I graduated in 2012 with a Masters Degree in speech language pathology at a Big 10 School, one of I think the top five in the nation at the time. I had always been under the impression that I needed a Masters degree to get any sort of real footing financially in today's job market, so I had been planning for this, but it still cost me $50,000 after small scholarships for academic merit and one of a few highly sought after TA positions. And I count myself lucky that that is all the debt I incurred, as I've known others in my field who have hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.

​

Unfortunately, I quickly learned that the workings of being a speech pathologist were much more difficult than my professors and career research had led me to believe. I made $40,000 out of the gate, where I had to work part-time at multiple jobs to complete my Clinical Fellowship (CF). My pay didn't significantly rise after receiving my CCCs (Certificate of Clinical Competence), which is one of the bigger draws of any certification - giving you greater credibility to warrant a higher rate. As I continued working, I experienced difficulty in finding any jobs with benefits, pay commensurate with my growing experience in an economy where inflation was rising every year, or any understanding or respect of the profession as a whole. I saw an increasing number of 1099 jobs paid at 30% of what companies charged facilities, and ASHA partnering with said companies for sponsorships. I saw online the burn out of so many professionals in SLP regardless of setting because they were overworked and exhausted and their mental health was suffering. I saw insurance and Medicaid rates falling for SLP and Audiology services and little work being done at the national level to lobby for changes that would actually impact SLPs, such as workload caps, better reimbursement rates, or interstate licensure agreements.

​

Each year, the $225 (now $250 as of 2025 renewals) cost of membership became more painful. When I thought about leaving the field in 2017-2018, I considered letting the certification lapse even though I had worked so hard to get it. But I learned that if I did and ever needed it again (as some jobs require), I'd potentially have to retake the Praxis or go back to grad school for updated course requirements. So I kept it. But I began to wonder what ASHA really did for me to cost that much each year. With the help of research by FixSLP, I started learning about how much money there really was in ASHA and where it went. I also learned about the percentage of participating SLPs compared to other professionals (PT, OT, e.g.) and how their dues were spent towards lobbying efforts and advocacy. 

​