Membership Dues Renewal Frequently Asked Questions
Payment
Refunds
Membership Category Changes
Certification/Professional Development
NSSLHA Students
Member Benefit Publications
Special Interest Groups
ASHA Political Action Committee
American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation
Payment
What are my options for paying my annual dues/fees?
The best way to submit your payment is through ASHA's online dues renewal system. It's safe and easy, and it's the quickest way to receive your ASHA ID card. Online payers will have their new ASHA card issued within 10 days of payment. Online payments must be made by VISA, MasterCard, or Discover credit cards.
Annual Dues/fees payments may be sent to ASHA by postal mail. All renewals submitted by postal mail, including third party payments, must be sent to ASHA with an accompanying dues notice. Payments sent by postal mail may be submitted by check, money order, or credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover). Checks and money orders must be made payable to ASHA in U.S. funds only. The correct ASHA account number(s) must also appear on all checks and money orders. Renewal payments must be sent to the following address:
ASHA
c/o Suntrust Bank
P.O. Box 79952
Baltimore, MD 21279-0952
Electronic bill payments submitted through your bank must also be sent to the address above. To expedite the processing of your renewal payment, you must provide your bank with your ASHA ID number and the dues notice number printed on the dues notice that you will receive in the mail in October. Please instruct your bank to include your ASHA ID number and the dues notice number on the electronic payment.
Can my employer (or some other third party) pay my dues/fees?
We are pleased to accept payment from any source on behalf of our members/affiliates. However, we do not accept purchase orders to bill third parties, nor does ASHA bill third parties directly. Members/affiliates may provide their dues notices to third parties for payment on their behalf if the parties agree.
It is the responsibility of ASHA members/affiliates to do the following:
- Ensure that their dues/fees, when paid by a third party, are received in time to avoid late fees,
- Make certain that your ASHA ID number is on the check, and that the check is made payable to ASHA in U.S. funds, and
- Make certain that your dues notice is provided to the payer and submitted with the check.
Third party payments should be directed to:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
c/o Suntrust Bank
Baltimore, MD 21279-0952
Written inquiries should be directed to:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard, #435
Rockville, MD 20850
Note: ASHA-PAC cannot accept corporate checks.
How can I obtain a dues/fees notice?
Go to the Dues Renewal section of our website and enter your ASHA number and last name. A dues/fees notice will appear on the screen; however, the amount due will be omitted when you print it out. Please be sure to complete the amount being paid before mailing.
If you do not have Internet access, please contact the Action Center at 800-498-2071 to request a dues/fees notice. Please allow 7 business days for your request to be fulfilled.
How can I obtain a receipt?
- Go to the Dues Renewal section of our website.
- Enter your ASHA number and last name.
- If your payment was posted, a receipt will appear on the screen.
- Select the Printer Friendly Receipt link, which will bring your receipt up on the screen for you to print.
- If you do not have Internet access, please contact the Action Center at 800-498-2071 to request a receipt.
Can I deduct my membership dues/fees on my income tax return?
Dues payments to ASHA, classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization, are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. However, they may be deductible under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code subject to restrictions imposed as a result of lobbying activities. In those situations where dues may be deductible, ASHA estimates that the nondeductible portion of your 2012 dues ($225) is 5%. The nondeductible amount (5%) is calculated by dividing total ASHA lobbying expenditures by total dues income (excluding all other income).
If you have further questions, we recommend that you consult with your tax advisor.
Where can I find the list of codes used on ASHA and NSSLHA dues/fees notices?
- The code sheet is included in the envelope containing the dues notice mailed to members/affiliates in October.
- You may also download and print the ASHA code sheet [PDF] and/or the NSSLHA code sheet [PDF].
Refunds
Can I cancel my membership/affiliation and receive a refund?
- Members/affiliates desiring cancellation of paid membership dues/fees are advised to call ASHA's Action Center at 800-498-2071.
- Refunds are not permitted after January 1 for the year in which fees are due.
Two payments were mistakenly made for my annual dues/fees. How and when can I expect to receive a refund?
- We issue refunds of duplicate dues/fees payments based on the method of payment used for the second payment received.
- For example, if the first payment was by check and the second payment was by credit card, the refund is made to the credit card and vice versa.
- Please allow 4 weeks for a check refund to be issued and 3–5 business days for a credit to be issued to your credit card. It may take up to an additional 3–5 business days for the credit to appear on your credit card account.
I made out the check for my dues/fee payment for too much money. How and when can I expect a refund of my overpayment?
- If payment was made by check, we automatically issue overpayment refunds 4 weeks after your payment was deposited. This is to ensure that checks are not recharged to our bank after the refund occurs.
- When overpayment have been made by credit card, refunds are credited to the same credit card account that was charged within 3–5 business days. It may take up to an additional 3 business days for the credit to appear on your credit card account.
Membership Category Changes
How do I become a Life Member?
- If you have been an ASHA member for 25 consecutive years and have now reached the age of 65, please contact the Action Center's toll free number, 800-498-2071, to request Life Member status.
- Your Life Membership status will become effective at the beginning of the next year after you made your request.
- You may be asked to provide verification of your age with a copy of your driver's license, birth certificate, or passport.
- Life Membership status offers the discounted annual dues/fees of $64 per year.
What is the difference between Life Member status and Retired Certification?
Life Member status recognizes ASHA members who have been members for at least 25 consecutive years immediately prior to reaching age 65. Many Life Members continue to provide clinical services and are required to meet the certification maintenance professional development requirements. Retired Certification is an exemption from the professional development requirements to maintain certification. It is granted through the Council for Clinical Certification to recognize certificate holders who have held certification for 25 consecutive years and who have reached the age of 65, but who are no longer providing clinical services.
I am a graduate student—is there a dues reduction available?
Yes, certified members who are enrolled part/full time in any accredited graduate program may pay reduced dues of $135. You must provide ASHA with a form confirming your student status [PDF]. The requested documentation must be signed and validated by the institution's Office of the Registrar. Members who return to school may receive this benefit for a maximum of 7 years.
If you are not currently certified by ASHA, and are not in the process of becoming certified, and you are enrolled in an eligible doctorate program in the area of communication sciences and disorders, you may apply for membership in NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association) for annual dues of $60. Please visit NSSLHA's website for more information.
My doctor has declared me physically unable to work. Do you have a Medical Inactive status?
Members and certificate holders who have been declared medically unable to work by a physician may be eligible for Life Disability status or Inactive Certification status with ASHA. To be eligible for this benefit you must:
- Have 5 years of consecutive membership or certification with the Association
- Provide a letter from your physician or proof of disability payments from the state or Social Security Administration
Members who provide the above-mentioned documentation receive a waiver from paying membership dues until they return to work. Certificate holders who provide the above-mentioned documentation will not be required to accumulate 30 contact hours of professional development every 3 years. Please note: Evidence of your inability to work will be required on a periodic basis.
Certification/Professional Development
Do I have to be an ASHA member to be certified?
No, you do not have to be a member of ASHA to be certified. However, to maintain your Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCCs), your certification fee of $199 must be paid annually. Certified nonmembers must also comply with the Certification Maintenance standard that requires participation in 30 contact hours of professional development during each 3-year maintenance interval.
Do my annual ASHA dues include the Continuing Education (CE) Registry fee?
No. There is an additional fee to use the ASHA CE Registry. This fee can be found on your dues/fees notice, identified as a Voluntary Program, directly below the annual ASHA dues/fees amount. The annual CE Registry fee for ASHA/NSSLHA members is $25, and $35 for certificate holders and nonmembers who qualify to earn ASHA CEUs.
Am I required to participate in continued professional development to maintain my certification?
- Yes. All certificate holders are required to accumulate 30 certification maintenance hours every 3 years to maintain the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence. The guidelines for maintaining certification are available on the ASHA website.
- Members who do not hold certification are not subject to the professional development requirements for certification maintenance.
- If you have additional questions, contact the Action Center at 800-498-2071 or send and e-mail inquiry to cccmaintenance@asha.org.
How does non-payment of my dues/fees affect my certification?
If you were a certified member or certificate holder in 2010, and you have not paid your 2011 dues/fees by August 31, 2011, you must reinstate should you decide to re-affiliate. Please consult the reinstatement for audiology or reinstatement for speech-language pathology pages for more information. You may also contact the Action Center (actioncenter@asha.org or 800-498-2071) for more information on reinstatement procedures and fees.
NSSLHA Students
Can NSSLHA members renew online?
Yes. NSSLHA members can renew their dues online. You will find a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding renewal for NSSLHA members on the NSSLHA website.
I am a NSSLHA member who graduated from a master's program in 2011. Do I need to renew my NSSLHA membership, or should I apply for conversion to ASHA membership and certification?
NSSLHA members who have graduated from a master's or doctoral program should refer to the information for 2011/2012 master's and doctoral graduates on the NSSLHA website, or contact the Action Center at 800-498-2071 to determine their status.
Member Benefit Publications
I understand that in addition to The ASHA Leader, I now have online access to all four ASHA journals and their archives. How do I access the online journal content?
All four ASHA scholarly journals—including the complete archive back to 1936—are online, with full-text access available to all members directly through the ASHA website. If you have not yet registered with our website, please do so. You will need your ASHA ID number to register, and your login will then be the e-mail address and password you use during the registration process.
Once registered on the ASHA website, you will have immediate access to the online journals. You will also be able to "activate" your online subscriptions at the journals' dedicated site. This will make it easy for you to access the full text of journal articles outside of the ASHA website, such as when you are doing a Web search and finding journal articles that way.
ASHA members will continue to receive The ASHA Leader in print format, with online access to selected articles and features from each Leader issue.
Special Interest Groups
Am I eligible for membership in the Special Interest Groups?
ASHA members are eligible to join one or more of 18 Special Interest Groups. Special Interest Group affiliates are eligible to vote for SIG leadership positions and to hold SIG office. International associates and NSSLHA members may join SIGs as well. They enjoy all affiliate benefits with the exception of voting and holding office. SIG calendar year fees are $35 for ASHA members and international associates, and $10 per calendar year for NSSLHA members and full-time graduate students.
ASHA Political Action Committee
If my employer pays my membership dues and I choose to contribute to the ASHA-PAC, can my employer pay for my ASHA-PAC contribution as well?
No. ASHA-PAC cannot accept corporate contributions, only personal checks made payable to ASHA-PAC, or payment with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card. The only lawful exception is a check or Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card payment received from the private practice of an ASHA member who is contributing to the PAC on behalf of him or herself. To find out more information, you may send an e-mail to PAC@asha.org.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation
Can I send my annual Foundation renewal gift with my dues payment?
Yes. Please update the amount indicated on the dues notice to reflect your annual renewal gift.
How do I contact the Foundation?
To learn more about the Foundation and its work or details about your contribution, call 301-296-8704 or go to the Foundation website.
Do I have to pay the Foundation and ASHA-PAC contributions?
No. These contributions are voluntary. The amount is a suggested amount. You can give more or less than the indicated amount.
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