Miracle-Ear Foundation Eligibility

Find out if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Do you qualify?

The Miracle-Ear Foundation® serves and supports children and adults who have a hearing loss. Our Gift of Sound™ program provides hearing aids and hearing support services at no-cost* to families or individuals who have incomes that are significantly limited, who are unable to afford the high costs of quality hearing instruments and have exhausted all possible resources for their hearing health.

Hearing challenges are unique, every application for service and support is considered on an individual basis. The recommended hearing aid style will depend on a person’s specific hearing condition and circumstances. 

*Application fee for adults, ages 19 years and older, requesting services from the Miracle-Ear Foundation is $200. This is a non-refundable fee; please make sure you fit eligibility criteria before applying.

Eligibility requirements

Miracle-Ear® is committed to helping underserved people with hearing loss and giving them the gift of sound. Our eligibility requirements are designed to reach those who need our help most. In order to qualify for our program:

  • Applicants must have a hearing loss that requires amplification (hearing aids).
  • Applicant must be denied financing options available at the Miracle-Ear store.
  • Applicant must have exhausted all resources available for their hearing health; including, but not limited to insurance, state Medicaid program, VA, vocational rehab, state or local programs, and other charity sources.
  • Applicant’s total household income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines on the on the income chart provided to qualify. Please note this is not the only eligibility criteria, this is only one component of the overall requirements. Scroll down to see the household income chart below.
  • Applicant must possess a family commitment to intervention, rehabilitation, and necessary follow-up services, which is especially important for a child applicant as they grow.
  • Applicant must be a resident or citizen of the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
  • Repeat adult applicants (19 & older), who still meet all eligibility requirements may reapply every 5 years from when they last received hearing aids from the Miracle-Ear Foundation. Child applicants (18 & younger) may reapply every three years if the family still fits the eligibility criteria.
  • Children (18 & younger) must provide a current audiogram (dated within the last 6 months) and medical clearance dated within the last six months, and signed by a physician (MD, ENT). While medical clearance is encouraged for adults, a signed medical waiver is acceptable.
  • For Adult applicants (19 & older) only; a $200 non-refundable application is required. It must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Miracle-Ear Foundation.

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Eligibility income table

Household income threshold

Please note this is not the only eligibility criteria, this is only one component of the overall requirements. 

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How to apply to the Miracle-Ear Foundation

If you fit within the eligibility requirements and have carefully reviewed the criteria for income, assets, and hearing loss, you may be eligible for services from the Miracle-Ear Foundation. 

Applicants must contact their local Miracle-Ear store before starting the application process. 

To apply online: scroll down to the Miracle-Ear Foundation Application and select the “Apply Now” below to begin the online application. 

If you prefer to download a printable version of the application, scroll down to the Miracle-Ear Foundation Application and select the “Download Now” button below to print and complete the application.

For online applications – (Adult applicants only) – The Miracle-Ear store must receive the $200 non-refundable application fee before the application can be submitted to the Miracle-Ear Foundation. The application fee must in the form of a cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Miracle-Ear Foundation. The store will upload a copy to your application and mail it to the Miracle-Ear Foundation.

For paper applications – Bring the completed application, supporting documents, and the application fee ($200 adults only/$0 children). The application must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Miracle-Ear Foundation.  

You will receive notification by email (if provided) within three weeks if your application has been approved or denied services. The chosen Miracle-Ear store will also receive this notification.” 

If you or your child has been diagnosed as having a hearing loss and it has been medically determined that a hearing instrument is needed, you’ll need to complete the online application or download and complete the paper version, and supply the supporting documents detailed in the application. These supporting documents include but are not limited to an audiogram and physician’s medical clearance form (dated within the last six months), as well as financial information to indicate eligibility for services from the Miracle-Ear Foundation. There is a $200 non-refundable application fee for adult applicants (19 & older) only.  Please note that the physician’s medical clearance and audiogram are required for child applicants 18 & younger.

For online submissions, you will submit the application to the Miracle-Ear store to complete their portion of the application. For adult applicants, the store must receive the application fee before they can submit their portion of the application to the Miracle-Ear Foundation. When submitting a paper application, these documents must be submitted directly to your local Miracle-Ear® store where they will be delivered to the Miracle-Ear Foundation for review and consideration.

If it is possible for you to obtain hearing aids for you or your child through publicly supported state or local programs such as, but not limited to, Aid to Families and Dependent Children, the Department of Rehabilitation, Children’s Services, private health insurance, state Medicaid program, VA or vocational rehab, or other means (such as obtaining financing), you are not eligible for this program. Your application may not be considered unless you or your child has been rejected, in writing, by such a program. After your application has been reviewed by the Miracle-Ear Foundation, you will be notified by mail or email. If your application is accepted into our program, an appointment will be set up by your local Miracle-Ear store in approximately four weeks. After you have received approval and your first appointment is scheduled, the Hearing Care Professional (HCP) may test your hearing and discuss the specifics about the hearing loss. An impression will be taken of the ear(s) for an earmold which couples the hearing aid to your ear(s).

When the Miracle-Ear store receives the hearing aid(s) and earmold(s), an appointment will be set up with you to learn about the use, insertion, operation, care, and function of the hearing aid(s). You can then set up the necessary follow-up appointments with your HCP. At the next appointment, you can talk about any specific questions or concerns you or your child may need answers to regarding your progress with the hearing aid(s).

We recommend that every child with a hearing loss be directed to an audiologist for evaluation and rehabilitation since hearing loss often challenges children in the areas of language development, and educational and social growth. The Miracle-Ear store nearest you will be pleased to make recommendations to you and your child for long-term support.

Miracle-Ear Foundation Application

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If you have questions or concerns about eligibility, please reach out to your nearest Miracle-Ear center.

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Download the application

If applying online doesn't work well for you, download the Miracle-Ear Foundation application.

Loss and damage policy and service warranty*

There is no replacement coverage for loss or damage for adults. For children 18 and younger, if a hearing aid is lost or damaged within three years of receipt from the Foundation, a notarized letter detailing the situation must be presented to the Foundation to replace the hearing aid.

The Miracle-Ear Foundation will not replace a hearing aid due to loss more than once in lifetime.

Repair of hearing aids for adult applicants within three years will be covered by the Miracle-Ear Foundation; beyond three years, normal repair fees apply. 

Individuals may be able to purchase a service plan through their local Miracle-Ear store. 

Repair of hearing aids dispensed for children (age 18 and younger) will be based on the specific warranty of the hearing aid.

Provided proper care and maintenance of the earmold and hearing aid(s) have been taken as instructed, the Foundation will provide new earmold(s) for children only based on their changing need. Adult recipients are responsible for any future revisions to their earmolds. 

Butler Linda Michaels and Consultant Marleen Hoffmann

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If you have questions or concerns about our loss and damage policy and service warranty, please reach out to your nearest Miracle-Ear center.

Download our loss and damage policy and service warranty here

Meet our experts

Frequently asked questions

The Miracle-Ear Foundation, together with their donors, provides tools that empower underserved Americans with hearing loss to enhance their life experiences through the Gift of Sound. The Miracle-Ear Foundation is a Minneapolis-based non-profit and works to provide hearing instruments to qualified applicants across the United States and Puerto Rico. 

Please click here to review our eligibility requirements. If you fit within the eligibility requirements and have carefully reviewed the criteria for income, assets and hearing loss, you may be eligible for services from the Miracle-Ear Foundation.

To apply select the Apply for the Gift of Sound button under the eligibility requirements. Before starting the application, please contact your local Miracle-Ear store to confirm they participate in the Gift of Sound Program and can accept your application for services. The store must confirm that you have been denied financing and that they have received the $200 application fee for adult applicants onlyClick here or call 1-800-464-8002 to find a participating Miracle-Ear store. The Miracle-Ear Store information section of the application must be completed by the store.

  • Current Audiogram dated within the last six months for child applicants 18 & younger.
  • Medical Clearance form signed by a Medical Doctor (for child applicants 18 & under). Adults may choose to waive their right to consult with their doctor by signing the Waiver of Medical Clearance in the Medical Clearance section of the application.
  • Proof of total household income for all adult members of the household (18 & older). The specific documents will be determined in the Household and Financial Information section of the application.
  • Money order or cashier’s check of $200 payable to the Miracle-Ear Foundation. This is a non-refundable application fee for applicants 19 years of age or older only.

If the application and supporting documents are completed in full, it can take up to four weeks to process your application. However, applications that are not filled out completely or are missing information will delay the application process or stop it completely. 

You may be thinking "How are these $200 hearing aids different from what other people buy at Miracle-Ear?" The hearing aids gifted to our qualified applicants are not $200. They are the same hearing aids that can be purchased in store. The average cost of a hearing aid is $1,000 to $4,000. 

While the Board of Directors understands that this fee may be a hardship, the non-refundable application fee is consistent with other like charities that help individuals with their hearing health. We require the $200 non-refundable application fee for all adult applicants 19 & older without exception. Based on our eligibility criteria, adults should not submit an application or application fee if they do not meet these guidelines for this service.

The Miracle-Ear Foundation can answer your questions to see if you may be an eligible candidate before you apply. If you have questions, please contact us at 1-800-234-5422. Many applicants have sought out support from their church, Lions Club, family, or other community resources for this fee. 

The $200 non-refundable application fee can only be paid with a cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Miracle-Ear Foundation. Personal checks cannot be accepted and will prevent your application from being processed, until an acceptable form of payment is received. 

The guidelines are based on gross income. Please provide a copy of current 1040/1040A tax form(s) or specific documents determined in the Household & Financial Information section of the application for you & all adult members of your household to verify your income eligibility. 

You may be wondering "Why do all adults in my household have to provide their current 1040/1040A/1040-SR tax form(s)/Social Security/Government Benefit Award statement(s)?" The income guidelines are based on the total household income; therefore, we need to verify the total income of every adult in your household with their current 1040 tax form(s) or Government Benefit Award(s) statement and last two monthly bank statements. A household is defined as all those who live together or are dependent on each other.

Sharing our recipients’ stories helps the Miracle-Ear Foundation educate and lessen the societal stigma around hearing loss. If you are willing to share your story with others, we are required to have you sign the Applicant Testimonial Consent and Release form. While we encourage all applicants to sign this form, you do not have to sign it if you do not wish to share your story. 

Previous adult recipients may reapply for new hearing aids every five years from the date they received their hearing aid(s) through the Miracle-Ear Foundation. Child applicants 18 & under can reapply every three years. 

Adults receive their first pair of earmolds free of charge. After that there will a charge for any new earmolds. Earmolds for children will always be free of charge through the Foundation as they are continuing to grow. 

We cannot accept W-2s or paycheck summaries instead of your 1040/1040A/1040-SR tax form as proof of income. 

The warranty for adult recipients is three years and does not cover lost or damaged hearing aids. The warranty for child recipients is three years and will cover one replacement per ear within the three-year period for lost or damaged hearing aids. 

The Miracle-Ear Foundation does not replace lost or damaged hearing aids for adult recipients (19 and older). We encourage you to take special care of your hearing aids to avoid damaging or losing them. When not in your ears, keep them in a safe place where they will not be misplaced or damaged. If you would like to replace lost or damaged hearing aids, you will be responsible for purchasing new hearing aids through your local Miracle-Ear store. You may only reapply for new hearing aids through the Miracle-Ear Foundation every five years. Download our loss and damage policy and service warranty here.

If you have questions or concerns about our loss and damage policy and service warranty, please reach out to your nearest Miracle-Ear center.

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* Limited warranty, see store or miracle-ear.com/warranty for details.

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