ASHA Board of Directors Message: SCOTUS Decisions Related to Students

July 2023

Dear ASHA members and CSD students,

The ASHA Board of Directors is appalled by the U.S. Supreme Court decisions that undermine the consideration of race in college admissions and invalidate the federal Student Loan Debt Relief Plan. These decisions are a huge setback for our professions of audiology and speech-language pathology, and for the people we serve.

With your support, we have been fighting to uphold the value and importance of diversity in our discipline and among pre-professionals who study communication sciences and disorders. Last year, ASHA joined forces with other organizations to submit an amicus curiae brief [PDF] to the Supreme Court, defending the right of higher education institutions to consider race as a factor in admission policies. We successfully advocated for the 2022 Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act, which provides federal support to accredited audiology and speech-language pathology programs to increase the representation and success of students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. The Court's decision about race in college admissions devastates our efforts to diversify the discipline.

The skyrocketing cost of higher education is preventing many potential students from pursuing CSD careers, at a time when our field is facing a shortage of professionals. ASHA has been advocating for you, working with the Department of Education to ensure our professions are included in student debt relief programs. The Court's ruling rejecting the Student Loan Debt Relief Plan is a crushing blow to this effort and an unjust punishment for millions of low- and middle-income Americans who are struggling to pay off their student loan debt. We will provide details about actions by the U.S. Department of Education and options for borrowers shortly.

We are not done with this fight because the full ramifications of the Court’s decisions remain to be seen. ASHA is taking these actions to remove barriers to CSD education:

Persist in tirelessly advocating to ensure access for anyone seeking to enter our professions.
Work with our academic programs to identify innovative approaches to the college admissions process that are fair, holistic, and inclusive. Forthcoming guidance from the Department of Education on admissions processes in the wake of the Court’s decision will also inform this work.
Sustain scholarships, grants, mentoring programs, leadership opportunities, and networking events for students and professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Preserve diversity recruitment efforts among underrepresented populations at the high school and undergraduate level to promote the importance of representation within the professions.

ASHA is steadfast in continuing our work and finding new ways to overcome barriers that limit access to CSD education. We are committed to promoting our values and principles, including diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging, across all aspects of the professions. We are resolute in fostering an environment where all CSD professionals and students have equal access and feel welcome, valued, and supported.

ASHA appreciates the dedication and unwavering commitment to serve all communities that so many members have demonstrated. We must persevere—thank you!

Sincerely,
Robert M. Augustine, PhD, CCC-SLP
2023 ASHA President

What You Can Do

Interested in supporting CSD students in this time of uncertainty? Here are some suggestions:

Participate in ASHA’s advocacy activities; sign up for Take Action
Mentor or sponsor a student or a new professional who is interested in or pursuing a career in communication sciences and disorders.
Encourage high school students to learn more about CSD professions and plan for the future.
Visit That’s Unheard Of to educate yourself and others about the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging in CSD professions and services.