Transition to Post-Secondary Education;

Transition to Post-Secondary Education; Education after High School

Things to Consider before and during the Transition to Post-Secondary Education

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One of life’s biggest milestones is high school graduation. This is a point in life where many transitions will take place. Will you graduate and go to work, enter a vocational school, community college, work adjustment training or to a university? What supports are necessary for you to succeed with your plan? Who will fund your plan? How do you advocate for the necessary accommodations that you require? Successful transition that requires some advanced planning so that you are ready when it comes. Just as you have expectations, your parents too have expectations during transition planning and execution. Parents may expect you to begin to step up and make choices about your life’s direction making the responsibility of managing your disability transition from your parent’s responsibility to your responsibility. What agencies are there to help with career planning? Below is some information to help you (and your parents) get started on this exciting step in your life:

Self-Advocacy and Self-Direction

Begin developing self-advocacy skills early! Post-secondary education typically design their disability services programs to be self-advocacy based, and learning these skills and gaining confidence in your voice now will better prepare you for what comes after high school. Some things you can do to become a better self-advocate while still in high school include; learning more about your disability and accommodations, being active in your IEP/504 meetings, and consider participating in North Carolina’s Youth Leadership Forum. (Make this a link to the YLF website on the NC SILC webpage)

High school guidance counselors can great resources! Your guidance counselor can be a great resource when you begin to think about post-secondary education paths and assist you with career exploration. If you are considering a post-secondary institution such as a four year college or university, community college or other school do research on various campus types and academic programs to figure out what would fit you best. While doing this research, familiarize yourself with admission requirements such as high school GPA, class rank, SAT and/or ACT scores.

Admissions testing can be important! If you receive testing accommodations you will likely want to request them for placement testing or tests required for admission, like the North Carolina, Diagnostic, Assessment and Placement (NC-DAP), SAT or ACT. Become familiar with their documentation requirements a few months in advance so that you have time to plan and prepare if needed. Also, there are different accommodations available for the SAT and ACT. One test may be better suited to your needs than the other so set yourself up for success.

Visit perspective schools before you commit! Before choosing a post-secondary school most students will want to visit the campus for campus tours, open houses, admitted student days, and summer orientation. Finding a school that feels comfortable can be an important part of success. Often disability services offices are happy to meet with students during their visits to campus. If possible call ahead to schedule an appointment.

Big schools versus little schools Sometimes the size of the college campus can be intimidating. There are pros and cons to attending big schools and little schools. A large university will typically have a more diverse population and more resources available to them, i.e., more assistive technology available or the ability to make modifications for physical access. A small university may be able to provide a lower teacher to student ratio that allows the professor to get to know you as an individual. It’s equally important to attend the university, regardless of the size, that offers you the best education in the field of study you wish to pursue.

I’ve been accepted! Now what? Once you have narrowed down your choices, become familiar with the location of the disability services office. Contact them to ask questions about documentation requirements because these can vary from school to school and student to student. If appropriate you will also want to contact additional offices such as housing/residential living, health/counseling center, parking and transportation, veterans’ programs or services, and applicable off-campus services that could benefit your campus experience. All colleges are required to offer reasonable accommodations so if you ask what accommodations they provide you may get a list. You need to ask questions like, “I will need a separate setting for test taking, what is the process to arrange for test times?” and other questions that focus on “How” accommodations are provided versus “what” accommodations are provided.

Documentation

Part of becoming a self-advocate is ensuring that the documentation regarding your disability is kept up-to-date. Acceptable levels of recentness vary among schools, offices and your specific disability. In an effort to make the transition as smooth as possible you may want to consider the following information. When you’ve narrowed your choices to a short list of schools it is a good idea to contact them well in advance of the first day of classes. Schools need time to put accommodations in place and are serving many students with lots of different needs. It will also be your responsibility to make sure you’ve provided all the information needed to complete the registration process and clearly communicated what accommodations you will be requesting. Documentation is part of this process, make sure you understand schools documentation guidelines and have provided the appropriate information. If your high school has been providing testing or assessments to determine your eligibility for accommodations or services you should consider requesting an updated evaluation be done during your senior year. Some schools require this request to be made during your junior year.

Funding

There are many resources out there to assist in tuition payment; you should start to do some research on these once you have chosen an institution or even before. Many organizations have scholarship programs for students with disabilities as well. Some students are eligible for financial support through various state agencies such as Vocational Rehabilitation or Division of Services for the Blind. Still others are eligible for financial assistance through the GI Bill and other sources. Make sure to research local organizations and clubs for scholarship possibilities as well. If you have a disability, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) or the Division of Services for the Blind (DSB) can help you plan your move from school to employment. By working with your teachers and guidance counselors, the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors can provide specialized services to ensure you are able to go to work in the job of your choice.

More About Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Division of Services for the Blind (DSB)

Career Counseling Transition planning should begin early! By law, it can begin as early as age 14 to help you explore the world of work and identify your career interests. Skill and educational requirements along with future job availability will be explored. Activities such as visiting employers where someone does the job that interests you, working side-by-side with someone in this career, or doing volunteer work can be helpful.

Summer Transition Programs Summer Transition Programs are offered through the VR and DSB programs. One program provides an opportunity to explore career interests as well as take specialized classes in areas such as Braille, safe travel, technology and daily living skills. Another offers paid work experiences. If you plan to attend college in the future, the College Prep program is designed to help college bound students prepare for life after high school. Referral to this program is through your transition counselor or rehabilitation counselor in your local VR or DSB office.

Vocational and College Training Counselors through VR and DSB can assist you in finding a school that will prepare you for your job goal. They can also help you to identify financial resources that might cover part or all of the costs of your training. This may include financial assistance from VR and DSB. Your need for services such as readers or technology will be discussed and a counselor will work with you and the school to ensure your success.

Job Placement When you are ready for work right after high school or college, VR and DSB are ready to assist you with finding a job based on your interests and abilities. Counselors through VR and DSB have knowledge of employers in your community, and will locate potential job openings for you. VR and DSB may be able to arrange On-the-Job training with your employer. If you attend training after high school, VR and/or DSB will begin working with you to find employment as you move towards graduation.

Keeping a Job After you go to work, VR and DSB will stay in touch with you for several months to ensure your success. If you or your employers have concerns about how things are going on your job, VR and DSB will work with the two of you to resolve the issues. Or, if your job duties change VR and DSB can help you make the transition and, if needed, identify modifications that might be needed. Helping you to keep your job is very important to us.

Other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does the school have to provide every accommodation that I request? No. Post-secondary schools are only required to provide accommodations supported by the documentation you have provided them. In addition sometimes things that were accommodations in high school are no longer an accommodation but a service available to all students such as tutoring services. In these cases it is up to the student to actively seek out the appropriate services that are available to all students.

2. Will I be able to receive the same accommodations that I did in high school? Not necessarily. The laws governing accommodations in high school are intended to foster student success. The laws governing accommodations for post-secondary education and employment focus on ensuring access to programs and services. Therefore some accommodations that students received previously may no longer be available.

3. Who pays for accommodations, is it included in the tuition fees? A student cannot be charged for accommodations. The cost of providing an accommodation has to be met by the school. Items for personal use (such as study aids, readers for home use, personal care assistance/providers, etc.) on the other hand are the responsibility of the student not the school.

4. If I have a question or concerns, can I call the school to get information on my student or their academic status? Because of confidentiality laws there may be times that school employees cannot share information with you about your student. Typically schools have a process for students to grant access of their academic records to other people. Contact your chosen school to ask for additional information.

5. Will the school provide Assistive Technology (AT) and how do students access it? This depends on whether the technology is for personal use or required to access curriculum, programs or services provided by the school. If the AT is required for accessing required components of the programs/services/curriculum then yes, the school is required to provide AT. The AT also has to provide substantially equivalent experience, access, and ease of use that other students have. If the AT is for personal use then no, the student is responsible.

6. How do I go about requesting special accommodations in regards to housing and on- campus dormitories? This varies from campus to campus. This information is typically easy to find with a search of the schools website. If you don’t find answers there, contact the housing or residential living office at the school or contact the disability services office to ask for additional clarification.

7. I can’t figure out who to talk to about disability accommodations at a school I’m considering? First try some of these common terms when searching the schools website; disability, accessibility, access, accommodations, ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act, or mental health. If you are still having trouble locating information about accommodations contact the admissions office to ask for more information.

Some Additional Resources

 Transition of Students With Disabilities To Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators – a transition guide from the U.S. Department of Education’s, Office for Civil Rights  The Why, When, What, and How of Disability Disclosure in an Academic Setting, after High School  The 411 on Disability Disclosure  NC Youth Leadership Forum – information on YLF and application links  SAT Students with Disabilities – steps to request accommodations for the SAT’s  ACT Policy for Documentation – requirements to request accommodations for the ACT’s  NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services  NC Division of Services for the Blind  NC Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing  NC Assistive Technology Program  US Department of Veteran Affairs  Student Veterans of America  GI Bill Comparison Tool  Mobility International USA