Financial Resources

The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the University of Memphis offers a variety of opportunities to assist stundents with funding their graduate education. 

General Financial Information

Graduate Assistantships

For students in the professional programs (MA and AuD), graduate assistantships (GAs) can include partial tuition remission, a monthly stipend, or both, and some assistantships provide additional funding to compensate for out-of-state differentials.

For PhD students, the assistantship will cover most of the tuition and will provide a monthly stipend.

Students on assistantship work a specified number of hours for the School and are eligible for work study funds, if they qualify.

Maintaining a GA is contingent upon good academic standing, professionalism, and full-time enrollment.

There are various sources of GA funding.

• School: A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to students. All students are automatically considered for this funding; there is no need to apply for it separately.
• Grants: Some graduate assistantships are funded through research grants that offer additional funding opportunities and the chance to work in a research laboratory. Students will be notified to apply as these become available.

Scholarships, Awards, and Traineeships

Note: As the awards become available, the School will send out application materials to eligible students or faculty to nominate individuals.

 CSD Opportunity Scholarship 

We offer this scholarship to two admitted students (i.e., one AUD and one SLP student) who (1) are first generation college students (either at undergraduate or graduate levels); (2) demonstrate a strong commitment to working with underserved individuals or communities (including, but not limited to, rural areas); and (3) embody the ASHA ethics, Principle 1.C. and IV.M. regarding nondiscrimination of both patients and colleagues. All

admitted students will be invited to apply for this scholarship shortly after admission decisions are made each spring.

 Hal Price Scholarship 

The Dr. Harold “Hal” A. Price Scholarship is available to 2 first-year SLP students in the master’s program who are in good academic standing and who demonstrate financial need. A personal statement and résumé are required. The amount awarded is typically $1,000 and will be applied to the students’ account.

 Keith Greenwald Presidential Fellowship 

The Keith Greenwald Presidential Fellowship supports individuals pursuing research and clinical careers related to people with Down Syndrome and other developmental disabilities. Candidates should be full time graduate students, with a minimum GPA of 3.5, and who intend to pursue a career working with individuals with Down Syndrome. The fellowship includes an award of $6,000 that will be applied in equal amounts across the fall, spring and summer terms.

 Ben Cox Graduate Fellowship 

The Dr. Benton W. Cox Fellowship is awarded to 2 full-time AuD graduate students in good academic standing pursuing a degree in audiology. The students must demonstrate enthusiasm and leadership potential. The fellowship includes an award of $1000 in the fall and spring semesters towards their tuition and fees. The award is renewable over the first 3-years of the audiology degree if the student remains in good academic standing.

 LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Traineeship 

The UTHSC Center on Developmental Disabilities offers a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program to provide long-term, graduate level interdisciplinary training as well as interdisciplinary services and care. The purpose of the LEND training program is to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with disabilities. This is accomplished by preparing trainees from diverse professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in their respective fields and by ensuring high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence. Up to 4-SLP 4-AuD students are selected through a application process. The traineeship is for 10 hours per week for the fall and spring academic year. Students are eligible to apply for the LEND traineeship beginning in their 2nd year in the program. All students are encouraged to apply.

 Dean’s Research Award 

Any student in the School who has an accepted presentation (podium or poster) at a conference is eligible to apply for the Dean’s Research Award. To request the award, the conference acceptance email and request should be sent to the Dean and Associate Dean. The award is $500 to be applied toward conference attendance expenses.

 Dr. Cheryl D. Gunter Professional Development Award 

Cheryl D. Gunter, Ph.D (‘79 MA) is a first-generation college student from Auburntown, Tennessee. As a first-year PhD student, she received an award which funded her annual dues for two professional associations. This support allowed her to explore the diverse benefits of memberships that complemented her curriculum. As a student at the UofM, she attended her first national professional association conference and remembers what a transformational experience it was. The value of these experiences motivated her to support students to seek opportunities to become involved in the broader professional community with memberships in professional associations and conference attendance.

This award will provide a SLP MA or a PhD student with a concentration in speech and language sciences in good academic standing:

• A one-year student membership in TAASLP and registration fees to the TAASLP annual conference (or an equivalent state-level association) and registration fees to the TAASLP annual conference OR student membership in a specialty organization (e.g., American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, The Voice Foundation, Autism Society are a few examples).
• A one-year student membership to NSSLHA (or an equivalent national-level association), plus up to two special interest group student memberships.

 Marion G. Evans Award 

The Marion G. Evans Award is currently given to a deserving, third-year Doctor of Audiology (AuD) student. The award may be given up to 3 students with a total of $3000 ($1000 each). The award is based on clinical performance, academic performance, a stated commitment to Pediatric Audiology, and financial need.

 Louise Ward Fellowship 

Louise Ward was an Associate Professor of Audiology and Speech Pathology and Coordinator of Clinical Training in Speech-Language Pathology at Memphis State University for 17 years.

Louise was a wise and trusted counselor, teacher, and mentor and is remembered, by her former students, as a person who recognized and valued their unique strengths as individuals and taught them how to utilize these strengths in the clinical process. In her spirited manner, she counseled

and encouraged her colleagues and students to see the possibilities and the potential in themselves. Louise gave them the gift of her wisdom and her trust.

The recipient of the Fellowship is a student who demonstrates and possesses similar character qualities as Louise by being one who:

• is a skilled clinician, client-centered and who conveys an unusual sensitivity to the client and his/her family;
• exhibits unconditional positive regard for others and sees the uniqueness and humanness in all individuals;
• is ever investigating his/her self as a person;
• demonstrates the courage and flexibility to learn from his/her mistakes; and
• is compassionate and constructive in his/her dealings with fellow students, clients' and families'.

 Marion Hammet 

The Marion Hammett Scholarship was established in 2019 by the University of Memphis School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Alumni Chapter to benefit a worthy 2nd year Speech Language Pathology Student or 3rd year Audiology Student. The $1,000.00 scholarship will be awarded to this student during the Alumni Reception at the Mid-South Conference on Communicative Disorders.

Marion Hammett was one of our program’s most beloved alumni so it is only fitting that this scholarship exemplifies her personality and unique gifts. Marion Hammett was a clinical professor and an accomplished leader. She was an integral part of the University of Memphis CSD faculty from 1993 to 2010 and was the driving force behind the institution of the Head Start screening program. She was a prominent advocate for our field at the state and federal level. She was later named an ASHA Fellow. She had a larger-than-life personality and was well known for her wit, compassion and mentorship. She had passion for our field of study and the desire to make a difference in another person’s life. Marion Hammett is no longer with us, but the impact that she made on her students and colleagues was resounding and deep. The student who receives this scholarship must embody the qualities that Marion Hammett possessed.

 Sallie Hilliard Mentoring Award 

Sallie Starr Hillard came to the Memphis Speech and Hearing Center as a clinical supervisor in 1971 following her graduation from Vanderbilt. During her twenty-two years she created innovative clinic programs for clients, taught classes, and procured funding for services and student support. Specifically, she created a new approach for speech and language acquisition for the children and helped organize and coordinate the preschool language program. Sallie also coordinated the adult fluency program.

Sallie's contributions to the program and the field are numerous, but the most important gift was her ability to mentor people. Sallie mentored by giving of herself, her time, her knowledge, her insight, and her love. Sallie believed in her students and gave them the desire to learn new ways of thinking about themselves. She helped them to see the possibilities in their clients. Sallie's ability to

truly listen to students, colleagues and friends allowed each person seeking her counsel to feel that she was there solely for them.

In her memory her friends created The Sallie Starr Hillard Mentoring Award to recognize individuals who have given of themselves for others in a similar manner. Individuals who have been privileged to have had a mentor are encouraged to nominate them for this annual award.

General Scholarship Opportunities