Public Policy & Advocacy

YOUR voice needs to be heard in our Nation’s Capital!

Choices made by legislators and federal agencies have direct and often long-lasting effects on the schools and colleges of optometry, students and faculty.

ASCO encourages the involvement of leaders of our member institutions in public policy development and advocacy through our Government Affairs Committee and through “grass-tops” activities at the school and college level. Working with allied groups such as the American Optometric Association, ASCO develops and advocates for policies to include optometry in federal legislation and further advance the interests of optometric education. ASCO also works with interprofessional organizations such as the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions, the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, and the related Alliance for Eye and Vision Research to pursue federal initiatives affecting optometric education and other health professions education groups.

Decisions made by Congress and regulatory agencies on funding of Medicare and Medicaid, research grants, student loans, the National Eye Institute and other policy areas directly affect ASCO member institutions that are educating tomorrow’s Doctors of Optometry.

Public Policy and Advocacy Tools and Links:

ASCO Position Statements

“Grass-tops” Advocacy Tools:

Current Legislation of Interest to Optometric Education:

Links to Key Federal Agencies with Potential Grant Opportunities: