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Planning for postsecondary takes time and organization
By Deborah Leuchovius
Students planning to further their education beyond high school quickly discover that most postsecondary institutions have a maze of requirements. Students with disabilities, however, are apt to find additional twists and turns. Because of that, it is essential to plan.
A first step for students and their parents is to invite new partners to join their transition planning team. Representatives from both the state vocational rehabilitation services agency and the prospective school, for example, may be able to provide valuable information or resources that can help students and their families save time and avoid frustration.
Most colleges and universities have an Office of Disability Student Services (DSS), which provides some level of service, support, or accommodations to their students with disabilities. DSS staff should be able to address the scope and depth of supports offered by their institution and will know what kind of documentation their school requires for students to receive accommodations.
A vocational rehabilitation counselor from the state can help clarify that agency's role in the student's future, including higher education.
Families can help the student prepare for a smooth transition to postsecondary education in other ways, too. Three important areas to consider are 1) documenting the disability, 2) paying for the education—including related expenses such as assistive technology needed in a postsecondary setting, and 3) involving agencies in post-high school planning.
Documenting the Disability
A student with disabilities should know that postsecondary schools generally ask for current documentation verifying the disability of students who request accommodations. Colleges, universities, and technical schools are likely to ask for assessment documents that 1) show the student's disability continues over time and 2) confirm the student needs accommodations. A rule of thumb is that documentation should be less than three years old. Students planning postsecondary education should obtain the documents before high school graduation.
Postsecondary institutions do not typically accept high school Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) as documentation of a disability. If it is disability-specific and current, students can usually present test results used to create the IEP. For example, a student with learning disabilities may submit the evaluation done in his junior year as documentation of disability.
If the postsecondary school asks for different documentation, it is the student's responsibility to obtain and provide the information. (After a student leaves high school, the student or his or her family can collect and maintain school files and medical records.)
New language in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) states that school districts "must provide the child with a summary of his or her academic achievement and functional performance, including recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting postsecondary goals." According to the Council for Exceptional Children's Division of Career Development and Transition, such a summary will significantly help the student gain access to further education and employment. Council experts recommend that a summary of the student's academic and functional performance, based on the results of age-appropriate transition assessments, be completed as part of the IEP transition planning process.
Paying for the Education
If postsecondary education is in the future of their child with a disability, parents need to know they should start saving. Colleges and post-secondary schools are not required to provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities (although they cannot charge for disability-related accommodations).
Involving Agencies
Interagency collaboration is a wise transition practice. It allows the transition team to effectively address issues such as how to obtain and use resources and expertise of agencies outside the special education system to acquire assistive technology for postsecondary settings.
Involving a vocational rehabilitation counselor from Minnesota's Rehabilitation Services agency can alert the student's transition team as to what supports the student can expect from the agency during and after high school. (A different agency, State Services for the Blind, provides vocational rehabilitation services to Minnesota students with vision impairments.)
Vocational rehabilitation services are available to eligible young adults with disabilities when they are 16. If a student qualifies, the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency may pay some postsecondary education expenses— if the course of study will lead to the student's future employment in an intended career, vocation, or field. The financial help may cover testing to document a student's disability or accommodation needs; help with tuition; or the purchase of equipment that can be used later in employment, such as a set of tools needed in a vocational education class or a specialized computer. The family will still need to apply for financial aid from other sources, however, before VR will pay.
Before VR counselors invest in a student's postsecondary studies, they must be convinced that it is an appropriate goal for the student and that it will lead to an employment outcome. Bringing VR counselors into the transition planning process acquaints them with the student's potential and can help them understand how higher education will help the young adult achieve employment goals. Caution: even after a student's eligibility is established, VR agencies may not have the funds to provide requested the services and supports. Gaps in services result in waits. Without interagency partnerships, students and their families will have greater difficulty meeting future needs.
While there are admittedly challenges for students with disabilities who want a postsecondary education, most find that expending extra effort is worth it.
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require 
