Student Advocacy Day
Thursday, October 23, 2025
An all-day, virtual event
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. We're calling on Congress to support legislation to improve access to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The SERVICE Act (H.R. 2829) strengthens Public Service Loan Forgiveness by reducing required payments, expanding eligibility, and ensuring fair access to loan relief for the public service workforce. Get up to speed on the issue by reading this one-page issue brief [PDF].
Join National NSSLHA in our goal to send over 7,000 letters to Congress this fall!
What You Can Do
Sign the Petition
"Through the IMPACT Program, a collaboration with Hampton University, I have had access to several different types of mentors throughout my undergraduate education. I have a mentor at Hampton University, an academic mentor at Case Western Reserve, a research mentor, and an affinity mentor (someone in the field of SLP). While each member plays a unique role in my journey, they each are helping me become a better leader within the field.
At first, it seemed daunting to participate in such a program as many of my mentors are well-established individuals in our profession. Many of them reminded me that they started right where I was - as an undergraduate student with lots of questions. This reminder brought me a lot of comfort. I am lucky to have been able to participate in this program, but I also recognize that not all schools offer these opportunities. Apart from IMPACT, I have many other mentors who are extremely special to me, many of whom I have connected with at my university. They also have shared many valuable lessons with me. Do not be afraid to reach out to professors or speakers at a NSSLHA event. They could possibly be an important person to you in the future!"
– Jocelyn Martinez, Case Western Reserve University
Send a Letter
"I have been extremely blessed to have amazing mentors who have poured so much into each season of my life. When it came time to begin my doctoral program, and seemingly the start of my professional career as well, I knew that seeking an audiology mentor would be a great benefit. ASHA recently launched their Audiology Mentor Program for Students (AMP-S), and I have been lucky enough to participate in such a special program.
I was ready to invest a sufficient amount of time and energy into this new relationship, but the program made it significantly easier for me than expected. They prepared me with a mentee handbook, an outline of how the program would look, a user-friendly mentorship portal with appropriate to-do lists, and an easy matching system. Through the support offered by the AMP-S program, my mentor and I have been able to allocate time to the research, networking, and leadership goals I have created for myself. She provides helpful resources and advice as I navigate grad school and gives a non-biased perspective as a professional in this field. The AMP-S program and my mentor’s investment in me has allowed me to feel more connected in a large profession and grown my skills as a student and leader."
– Allison Tran, San Jose State University
Here's What You Can Do
1. Send a Letter to Congress – Urge your representatives to protect access to affordable student loans and repayment options.
- Go to this page.
- Fill in your info.
- Click "send message" and your letter will automatically send to your member(s) of Congress!
2. Print and personalize a Take Action sign [PDF], share why this issue matters to you, and post a photo. Tag National NSSLHA and your representatives!
Together, we can do this! #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.