Students who have the academic ability may decide to attend a four-year college program. Although accommodations are available to students with documented disabilities, the college-age student should also have appropriate classroom and study strategies in order to be successful in college.

Educational Accommodations

It is the student's responsibility to advise the college or university of his disability if he is interested in receiving appropriate educational accommodations. Certainly it is possible for a college student to have a disability that does not impact his education, or a disability for which he has adequate strategies to be successful without additional accommodations.

A student who has mild cerebral palsy, walking with Canadian crutches, may not need educational accommodations. (Because of ADA, the college would already have doors that could be opened with a button and elevators, removing any barrier to building accessibility.)

A student with low vision may already have sufficient support from using a tripod magnifier to read textbooks and exams. Enlarging the print on a computer could be accomplished with the click of a button. Perhaps this student would not need further accommodations.

Each student is, however, an individual with unique needs. Many students will request educational accommodations from their college. These accommodations might include:

• Enlarged print handouts

• Reader services (for visually impaired students as well as those with a learning disability)

• Writer services (an individual to whom the student dictates in-class written work and essay exams)

• Interpreter for the deaf

• Note taker

Students may also use other accommodations that would not necessarily be provided by the college, such as textbooks on tape.

Housing Considerations

The other main area of accommodation for college students is living accommodations. Typically this is handled by staff in the housing office as opposed to the office that coordinates classroom services.

Students needing living accommodation include some with physical impairments, some with visual impairments, and those who use a service dog.

Funding

Most families are concerned about the cost of a college education. Students with a disability have a number of options in the search for college funding:

• Traditional, merit-based scholarships

• Scholarships based on an area of talent (sports, debate, etc.)

• Scholarships based on ethnicity

• Scholarships based on community involvement

• Traditional student loans

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

• Funding from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation or the Rehabilitation Services for the Blind

• Scholarships awarded to students with a particular disability

In some cases, a college student with a disability who also works may continue to be eligible for SSI with documentation that his earnings are being used to pay for his college expenses. This program is called PASS (Plan for Achieving Self-Support) and is decided on an individual basis.

The HEATH Resource Center offers online and print material to assist the college student with a disability in finding financial assistance.