An improved hearing aid programming system with a host computer for providing at least one hearing aid program and having at least one personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) defined port in combination with a PCMCIA card inserted in the port and arranged for interacting with the host computer for controlling programming of a hearing aid. The host computer provides power and ground to the PCMCIA card and provides for downloading the hearing aid programming software to the PCMCIA card upon initialization. A microprocessor on the PCMCIA card executes the programming software. A hearing aid interface for adjusting voltage levels and impedance levels is adapted for coupling signals to the hearing aid being programmed. A portable programming arrangement utilizes a portable multiprogram unit to store one or more hearing aid programs, and having an electrical interconnection to a portable multiprogram unit interface, whereby one or more programs selected at the host computer can be downloaded and stored in the portable multiprogram unit. The portable multiprogram unit includes a wireless interconnection for transmitting selected ones of the programs to hearing aids to be programmed.