In a trend that is having important benefits to audiology as a whole, the AuD is fast becoming the common denominator of practicing professionals. Increased professionalism and standardization are the two most obvious advantages, but there are many others, including the benefits to individuals as they grow their practices while pursuing degrees. Most audiologists who have received an AuD find their practices have benefited enormously through the confidence they have gained by learning from experts who practice what they're teaching. The AuD also is proving to be a compelling validation of a commitment to excellence and superior care for patients.

Working Students

A significant majority of AuD candidates with practices continue to work while they learn, thanks to the availability of distance learning programs. They can incorporate their classwork into their everyday work experiences.

Audiology is just one of many fields where mature students are pursuing advanced educational opportunities. According to data published in U.S. News & World Report, the average graduate student is 33 years old, more than half are married and about one-third have children. A full-time graduate program isn't for everyone, as shown by statistics indicating only 36 percent of master's enrollees and 61 percent of doctoral enrollees are full-time students. The article also noted that professional and doctoral graduates earn $890,000 more than the bachelor's degree workers.¹ The statistics are from the Employment Policy Foundation, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

Costs Hold Potential Students Back

Despite these benefits, many potential AuD students cite financial concerns as a primary reason not to pursue an AuD. With more than two-thirds of master's level audiologists female (many are working moms) and one-third of them working part-time, finding the financial resources to return to school can appear to be a daunting obstacle in the midst of providing childcare and family stability. But appearances can be deceiving: The opportunities for financial assistance in pursuing an AuD are growing as quickly as the popularity of the degree programs themselves.

Many federal and private loans were developed for full-time students or students taking at least two courses. This may exclude distance AuD students who are part-time and taking only one course per session. With these limitations in mind, the distance learning programs have put together resources to provide financial aid for the returning adult student.

Current Programs

The five distance learning AuD programs are: Arizona School of Health Sciences, Central Michigan University and Vanderbilt/Bill Wilkerson Center, Nova Southeastern University, School of Audiology of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), and University of Florida. Links to all of the distance and residential AuD programs can be found on the Audiology Foundation of America Web site (www.audfound.org).

All of these programs have financial aid packages. Some are unique to their own programs, while others are general scholarships provided by outside organizations. For example, Arizona School of Health Sciences has recently announced a new loan option for students in its distance education audiology program. The loan is a Comprehensive Access Loan (CAL) made available through the Access Group.

Nonstandard Options

For students whose credit history will not qualify them for a signature-only private loan, another individual whose credit status is acceptable can now borrow on the student's behalf, using the new Sponsored Access Loan.

Central Michigan-Vanderbilt offers discounts to audiologists who are employed by the federal government, such as military audiologists or those employed by Veterans Administration hospitals. Many colleges and universities have scholarships that are available only at those schools, but are available to part-time adult students.

Nova Southeastern has an extensive list of organizations that offer financial assistance to AuD students (www.nova.edu/aud/scholarships). PCO encourages students to pursue scholarships through their professional and service organizations, as well as to look online for appropriate scholarships.

Many helpful links to financial aid for part-time students can be found on the Web. Some Web sites, such as FastWeb (www.fastweb.com) or Peterson's (www.petersons.com) can help match scholarships with candidates.

Professional Organizations

Your professional organizations are also a source of financial aid for earning an AuD through distance learning. The Audiology Foundation of America sponsors its Audiology Professional Organization Practitioner Scholarship through various professional organizations. Information about these scholarships can be obtained by contacting one or more of them:

• Academy of Dispensing Audiologists (www.audiologist.org),
• Air Force Audiology Association (www.militaryaudiology.org/afaa),
• American Academy of Audiology (www.audiology.org),
• American Speech-Language Hearing Association (www.professional.asha.org),
• Audiological Resource Association,
• Educational Audiological Association (www.edaud.org), and
• Military Audiology Association (www.militaryaudiology.org).

Contact your professional association for further information.

The American Academy of Audiology also has a program called "Enable and Assist" for distance learning AuD students. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (www.ashafoundation.org), Sertoma International (www.sertoma.org), and National Association of Junior Auxiliaries (www.najanet.org) also have scholarships for graduate students in audiology. AMBUCS Scholarship for Therapists (www.ambucs.com) offers scholarships as well. 

Reference

1. Abell, A. (2003). "Part Time or Full Time?" Accessed via www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/articles/brief/04time_brief.php

Veronica H. Heide, AuD, is a private practitioner in Madison, WI. She can be reached via e-mail at vheide@audibledifference.com.