A mother tells her daughter's IEP team that the plan is for college after graduation. The daughter's accommodations are extra time, a quiet room, and notes provided by the teacher. "So she will get all of that at college," the mother says, and nobody corrects her. A few months later, in September, she finds out she should have registered in the spring.
College is a different system with different rules. This guide compares what a student has in high school with what a college must provide, using the federal rules and one college's description. It is general information, not legal advice, and colleges set their own procedures.
What ends at graduation
The special education rules apply through high school. Section 300.102 says that a free appropriate public education is not required for a child with a disability who has graduated from high school with a regular high school diploma. The rule says graduating with a regular diploma is a change in placement that requires written prior notice, and it defines a regular diploma as the standard diploma most students in the state receive, fully aligned with state standards. Under that rule, a credential that is not fully aligned with state standards, such as an equivalency credential, does not count as a regular diploma. See diploma versus certificate.
So the IEP ends, and its services, such as specialized instruction and related services, do not continue into college.
What the college must still do
Colleges that receive federal funds are covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The regulation for postsecondary education, in section 104.44, says a college must modify academic requirements as necessary so that they do not discriminate against qualified students with disabilities, except that requirements shown to be essential to the instruction or to a related licensing requirement are not treated as discriminatory. Examples of permitted modifications include extending the time allowed to complete a degree, substituting specific required courses, and adapting how courses are conducted.
It also requires a college not to impose rules that limit participation, such as banning tape recorders in classrooms or dog guides in buildings. It requires evaluation methods that reflect the student's achievement and not the impairment, unless the skill is what the test measures. And it requires auxiliary aids so that students are not excluded, with examples such as taped texts, interpreters for oral materials, and library readers for students with visual impairments. It does not require attendants, individually prescribed devices, personal readers, or other devices and services of a personal nature.
| A college must | A college need not |
|---|---|
| Make academic adjustments that are necessary and not a change to essential requirements | Change requirements that are essential to the instruction or a licensing requirement |
| Allow participation without limiting rules, such as a ban on recorders | Provide personal attendants |
| Use evaluation methods that reflect achievement rather than the impairment | Provide individually prescribed devices |
| Provide auxiliary aids such as taped texts or interpreters | Provide personal readers or other personal-use services |
Who starts the process
In high school, the school identifies needs and provides services. In college, the student starts. The Section 504 admissions rule, section 104.42, generally bars a college from asking an applicant whether they have a disability before admission, and allows confidential inquiries after admission about needs that may require accommodation. Colleges usually do this by inviting students to register with their disability office.
Reed College's page, one college's description, says the student must tell the disability office about the disability, provide appropriate documentation, submit an accommodation request, and renew accommodations each semester.
Side by side
| IEP | 504 plan in high school | College accommodations | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who identifies the student | The school, through evaluation | The school, through its 504 process | The student, by registering with the disability office |
| Law | IDEA, with Section 504 | Section 504 | Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act |
| What it provides | Specially designed instruction, related services, supports, and goals | Accommodations and supports | Academic adjustments and auxiliary aids |
| Who pays for evaluation | The school | The school | The student, usually, according to college practice |
| Parents' role | Equal members of the team | Notice and participation as the school's process provides | Limited by default. The student controls access to records |
| Duration | Until graduation or aging out | Until graduation | Per semester or year, with renewal |
The cells for college describe how colleges commonly work, based on the federal rule and the Reed College page. Each college sets its own procedures, so read the disability office's website.
What families can do before graduation
- In the last year of high school, find the disability services page of each college under consideration, and read its registration steps and documentation guidance.
- Ask the school to get the evaluation current, before graduation if possible, since colleges often want recent documentation. See what documentation colleges ask for.
- Practice self-advocacy. The student will explain their needs to the disability office. See student voice in transition meetings.
- Ask for the summary of performance at graduation. See summary of performance explained.
- Register early, ideally before classes start. See asking for college accommodations.
Questions for the college
A year-by-year path
Planning for the change works best when it is spread over time.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Junior year | Add college and training options to the transition discussion. Ask the team whether the evaluation will be current when the student graduates |
| Fall of senior year | Visit or read the websites of the disability offices at the schools the student is considering. Note their registration steps and deadlines |
| Winter of senior year | Gather documentation: the current evaluation, the latest IEP, and the draft summary of performance |
| After admission, before classes | Register with the disability office, ask for an intake appointment, and request accommodations in writing |
| First weeks of the semester | Check that the accommodation letter reached each instructor and that the student knows how to use each accommodation |
| Each following term | Renew accommodations as the college requires, and tell the office if needs change |
Choosing a college with support in mind
Colleges differ in how much support they offer beyond the legal minimum. Some run programs for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities, some offer coaching or study skills, and some have a small disability office with long waits. The federal rules set a floor, so look at what a college does in practice. Questions worth asking on a visit: how many students use the disability office, how long a typical intake takes, how instructors get accommodation letters, and what happens when something goes wrong in the first month. Ask to speak with a counselor in the office, and ask the student what they notice about how the staff talk to them. A student who feels welcomed by the disability office is more likely to use it.
Comparison mix-ups
- Assuming the IEP carries over. It ends at graduation with a regular diploma.
- Waiting for the college to ask. The student usually has to start.
- Expecting the same services. College provides access, not specially designed instruction.
- Missing the paperwork lead time. Evaluations and registration can take weeks.
- Expecting parents to receive reports. The student decides who gets information.
Terms are in the glossary.