When I was competing, my teacher asked if I'd be interested in dancing am/am. At the time, I said no because I had seen a couple of the male dancers who were interested in pairing up and their dancing wasn't at the same level as mine. So I stayed pro/am. Pros shouldn't be worried about income because in that scenario, they still get their money. It's the amateur who wins out because the costs can be split with their partner, therefore making it less expensive. An ethical teacher will try to enter their students in competitions that are less expensive if the dancer(s) have a limited income. But if they live in an area that has a high cost of living, that may not be possible.