Scholarships and Tuition Grants are Available to ASET Members
Scholarship Deadlines for the Annual Conference is May 15!
Submitted by: Faye Mc Nall, M.Ed, R. EEG T.
It is a pleasure to be writing an article for the ASET Newsletter! I have been busy since I retired from my role as Director of Education for ASET back in May of last year, and since I very much wanted to continue actively supporting ASET, I have been working as a consultant to assist with administrative tasks for the ASET Foundation. It seems to me that many ASET members are not tapping into the many benefits that are offered through the ASET Foundation and I am hoping that this informative article will provide insight and encourage more ASET members to access the variety of benefits and support available to them.
The ASET Foundation is the “charitable arm” of ASET – The Neurodiagnostic Society. The ASET Foundation was chartered in 2004 to enable the organization to obtain a 501 (C) tax status, thus making donations to the ASET Foundation tax deductible. Fundraising is the chief goal of the ASET Foundation in order to provide funds for a variety of scholarship and tuition grant programs.
The ASET Foundation maintains a separate website from the ASET website. There is an abundance of helpful information there, and I encourage you to visit www.asetfoundation.org, where you can find application forms for all of the scholarships and grants offered to ASET members. You can also read through the ASET Foundation’s Mission, Purpose and Core values in the “About” tab.
This article will highlight the scholarships available and the fundraising and donation activities managed by the ASET Foundation.
Scholarship Programs:
To view the array of scholarship programs at the ASET Foundation website, click on the “Scholarship” tab, where you will see the description and eligibility criteria for each program. The list includes:
On the right side of this webpage is a list of deadlines for all application forms. All scholarship and grant application forms can be found on the ASET Foundation website in the “Downloads” tab.
ASET Membership is required for eligibility for most of these programs.
Overview of Scholarships:
ASET Scholarships – Available to ASET members and cover the cost of meeting registration for the ASET Education Seminars and the ASET Annual Conference, a full three-day registration. Deadlines for applications are generally eight (8) weeks prior to the event.
CSS Scholarship – The Company Sponsored Scholarships are funded by those vendors and companies who have agreed to fund a scholarship to the ASET Annual Conference. Each company can determine the dollar amount of the scholarship and set eligibility criteria, which must include ASET membership.
Reminder: ASET and CSS Scholarships deadline for the 2020 ASET Annual Conference in San Diego, CA, is FRIDAY, MAY 15!
John Archibald Student Scholarship – This scholarship is named in honor of John Archibald, a technologist who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 1995. Prior to his death, he created this scholarship to serve as a legacy to cover expenses to bring a student from a CAAHEP–accredited NDT Program to the Annual Conference. Full meeting registration and a $500 travel stipend is included. There is no application form available on the ASET Foundation website. The application packets are sent to Program Directors of CAAHEP–accredited NDT programs by the ASET Director of Education every spring, so ask your Program Director for an application, if interested in applying.
Lewis Kull Online Education Scholarship – Lewis Kull was a revered technologist who helped countless others in the field gain knowledge and skill. He was involved in a serious pedestrian/vehicle accident in New York City in 2008, and subsequently succumbed from a head injury. The ASET Foundation named this scholarship in honor of his dedication to education. This scholarship will cover the registration fee for up to two ASET online courses. Required textbooks are not covered by the scholarship. Scholarship applications are due, reviewed and approved quarterly. Check the Foundation website for due dates.
Grant Programs:
The ASET Foundation administers two grant programs:
- Tuition Grants
- Special Project Grants
Tuition Grants – These grants are awarded to assist with tuition expenses for a full–time student enrolled in a CAAHEP–accredited NDT program, and also to employed Neurodiagnostic Technologists who are enrolled in a two– or four–year degree program. Grant checks of $500–$1000 are sent directly to the college financial aid office. ASET members are given priority for grants awarded.
Special Program Grants – The ASET Foundation offers grants to fund special projects which support the field of neurodiagnostics. Typically, these grants are awarded to fund development of resources such as appropriate curriculum, publications, educator training or clinical site expansion. Grants cannot be used for product research and design.
Special and Named Programs:
Kathleen Mears was a nationally recognized neurodiagnostic technologist who was devoted to promoting education and professional development for our field. She was Past President of both ABRET and ASET and worked tirelessly for both organizations. She was taken from us in 1994 in a fatal car crash on her way to work in San Jose. Her family set up a fund in her memory, to support education in neurodiagnostics.
- Mears Memorial Lecture– This plenary session is a highlight of every ASET annual conference.Honorarium and travel expenses are funded to bring a highly respected technologist to the conference to give this presentation. The speaker must also agree to compose a journal article based on their presentation. The ASET Annual Conference Program Committee selects the presenter.
- Mears Education Award–Since 2005, a portion of the K. Mears endowment has been used to fund a special monetary award to a CAAHEP–accredited NDT program and a designated student. A total of $500 is awarded to one program each year. The award is divided with $200 given to the program to cover the cost of a specific resource or purchase to enhance the program, and $300 goes to the student to cover tuition costs. The applications for this program are sent to Program Directors by the Director of Education in the fall of each year.
- John Knott Educational Lecture – Dr. John Knott was an early pioneer in the development of Neurodiagnostic Technology, creating an EEG lab at the University of Iowa in 1939. He spent his entire career working to improve skills for technologists everywhere, and co-authored the treasured textbooks, “Fundamentals of EEG Technology” along with Faye Tyner. He conceived of the Knott Lecture program himself! This program funds an honorarium and travel expenses to bring a distinguished technologist speaker to a regional neurodiagnostic society meeting. Meeting planners can access the Knott Lecture request form on the ASET Foundation website. There is a June 1 deadline for all applications to cover meetings hosted from September of the current year, through August of the following year. The ASET Director of Education coordinates the selection of the speaker for the regional society host selected.
How does the ASET Foundation fund these programs?
As you might imagine, it takes considerable financial support to fund all of these programs. The ASET Foundation relies upon donations from individuals, companies and organizations to ensure that our programs continue. As mentioned earlier in this article, all donations are tax deductible and the ASET Foundation provides documentation of gifts given for tax purposes.
There are many ways to support the ASET Foundation. Direct donations of any magnitude can be made using the ASET Foundation Donation form. ASET speakers can elect to donate their honorariums to the Foundation; silent auction items and bids also support the Foundation. Vendors may choose to fund a Company Sponsored Scholarship and for those who are able to do so, you can become a member of the ASET Foundation’s Brain Trust, with a pledge to donate $2,500 over five years. All gifts are greatly appreciated and will enable us to fund these worthy educational programs designed to help us grow the profession of neurodiagnostic technology. The ASET Foundation is here for you!
In June the ASET Foundation awarded a total of $5,000 in tuition grants to eight recipients, all whom are enrolled in Neurodiagnostic Technology Programs around the country, including The Institute of Health Sciences, Lincoln Land Community College, Kirkwood Community College, Johnson County Community College, The University of Holy Cross and the Crozer Chester NDT Programs. Congratulations to all and wishing you a stellar career in Neurodiagnostics!
In addition to the Foundation’s CSS and ASET Scholarships, the foundation is the steward of the John Archibald Student Scholarship. Established in 1996 in memory of John Archibald, scholarship reflects his desire to support a student in an accredited neurodiagnostic training program to attend the ASET Annual Conference. The recipient of the 2018 scholarship for a full registration to the New Orleans annual conference and $500 to offset travel expenses is Jessica Ellyn Potter, a student enrolled in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Neurodiagnostic program.