Differences In Disability Services: High School vs College
Differences between high school and college disability services:
There is no Special Education at the college level. Educational rights covered by IDEA (Individuals
with Disabilities Act) do not apply to postsecondary education. Colleges must comply with ADA (Americans
with Disabilities Act), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the civil Rights Restoration Act. College
students have civil rights, but no “education” rights.
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Postsecondary institutions are required to:
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Postsecondary institutions are not required to: • Provide specific auxiliary aids as long as the college provides a method of assistance that allows equal opportunity • Provide academic modifications if these modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the course or program or place undue burden on the institution • Lower admission criteria for applicants with disabilities • Diagnose a disability or conduct testing and assessment of learning difficulties, physical, or mental impairments • Provide personal attendants • Provide personal or private tutors • Prepare “Individualized Education Programs” (IEP’s) |
Differences in Policies and Procedures
| High School | College |
| The school is responsible for identifying students with disabilities |
The student must self identify or disclose his/her disability |
| The school must provide the assessment of disability, classify disability, and involve parents |
The student must provide documentation of his/her disability to the designated office |
| School staff will discuss academic progress with parents or legal guardians |
The student is considered an adult with privacy and confidentiality protections. Staff cannot talk with parents or legal guardians about the student’s academic progress |
| The school must develop an Individualized Educational Program |
The student must request specific accommodations and provide supporting evidence through documentation |
| The school must provide a free and appropriate education including modified program and appropriate related services |
The student must act as independent adults to activate and obtain accommodations and structure weekly schedules |
| The school must coordinate the provision of all services, monitor progress, and evaluate results |
The college must provide reasonable accommodations for students who qualify |
| Differences in Accommodations |
| High School | College |
| Services include individually designed instruction, modifications, and accommodations based on the IEP |
Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide equal access and participation |
| Modifications that change course outcomes may be offered based on the IEP |
The college is not required to lower or effect substantial modifications to essential requirements |
| Appropriate accommodations are determined by the student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) |
Appropriate accommodations must be determined based on the student’s disability documentation, and individual need |
| Differences in Parent’s or Legal Guardian’s Role |
| High School | College |
| Legal guidance is provided by IDEA | Legal guidance is provided by Section 504 and ADA |
| Parents/guardians must ensure that their child attends school until the age of 16 |
Parents/guardians are not required to send child to college |
| Periodic progress reports are given to parents/guardians | No progress reports will be given to parents/guardians |
| Teachers are free to approach parents/guardians without consent from student to discuss student’s progress |
Without a release of information signed by the student the teacher legally cannot include the parents/guardians in any part of the educational process |
| The parent/guardian is the student’s legal guardian | In college the student is considered to be his/her own legal guardian unless there is a court order to the contrary |
| The parent/guardian is expected to advocate for the student |
The student is expected to advocate on his/her own behalf |
How do Services Differ Between High School and College?
There are two major differences in services between high school and college:
1) There are no IEPs in college. Colleges only offer accommodations for students through 504 plans. They do not offer special education services or related services, only accommodations so that students have equal access to everything to which other students without disabilities have access. Additionally, even if you have a 504 in high school, that plan will not go with you to college; you have to apply for eligibility for a 504 at the college itself and go through the process again.
2) In college, everything related to getting, receiving, and using accommodations is driven by the student. In high school it is driven more by the school. Additionally, the college does not typically provide any evaluations that might be required to determine eligibility. Those must be provided by the student and paid for by the student or their family. Also because the student is typically over age 18, the student is fully responsible for all communications, and parents do not have access to any college records, communications, etc. without the consent of the student. There is a law called FERPA (the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) which prevents any information about a student in college from being shared with anyone, including family members without consent from the student.
When transitioning to college, if you have a learning disability, you can apply for a 504 and accommodations. You do this through the disability services office who will determine your eligibility for a 504 and identify the accommodations that you are eligible for and will receive. The 504 that you have in high school is many times useful to the disabilities services office in college, but a new 504 will be developed and it may not include all of the accommodations that you had in high school. Most often, you will also need to provide a neuropsychological evaluation to the disability services office to qualify. Typically, this is all done through email and you will be notified of any accommodations that you are eligible for through email.
At some colleges, the disabilities services office will send the accommodation letters directly to a student’s professors; however, some will share the letters with you and you are responsible for sharing them with your professors. Most require that you go through the process of requesting accommodations every semester. Because you have different professors each semester you must communicate the accommodations that you are eligible for at the start of every semester. On top of being responsible for that communication, you are also responsible for using them, and many times must ensure that you know the process for using them (for example, if you have an accommodation of taking a test in the decreased distraction environment, you may need to sign up for taking an exam in the disability services office up to two weeks ahead of the exam).
The bottom line is that if you want accommodations and a 504 in college, you have to advocate for yourself, take the initiative to make it happen, and follow through with every step of the process all the way through using them. You can get help but you have to seek and use the help available. This requires effort and attention on your part. In general there is a lot more independence, self-advocacy, communication, and responsibility required in college, not to mention time management
Written and compiled by Courtney Edman: Director or 2Empower Parents, Parent Coach, Executive Function Coach, 2e specialist, College Planning, Life Transition Planning (2022).