What happens to your child’s 504 or IEP in college? Experts explain how it works

After my son Mark lost his hearing as a baby, our family learned a lot about special education. From speech therapy to classroom amplification, the services and accommodations he qualified for helped him succeed alongside his friends and classmates.

Of course, kids have all kinds of disabilities and need all kinds of support. Your child might have learning differences, mental health challenges, mobility limitations or other issues. Whatever their needs are, two different federal laws are in place to help. 

Children who qualify for special education are covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). They have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that outline their services and accommodations.

Children who need accommodations but don’t qualify for special education are covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They have 504 plans instead of IEPs.

Depending on your child’s disability and your family’s situation, you probably got pretty familiar with how these plans work and what your child needs to succeed. I know I sure did.

But what happens when it’s time to consider colleges? How can you help your child choose a place where they will find the support and accommodations they need to thrive?

“Students are not guaranteed accommodations in college because they had a 504 plan or IEP in high school. To receive accommodations, the college must find the student eligible,” Roger Pierangelo, PhD, an executive director of the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET), tells TODAY.

Some college students have protection under Section 504, since colleges and universities that receive federal funding can’t discriminate because of disability — students with disabilities must have equal access to education and campus services.

And the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires equal access to programs, services and activities for students with disabilities.

Even though these laws help protect college students, schools provide different levels of services and accommodations.

“What’s available in terms of working with students to support them is highly variable,” David Johnson, PhD, tells TODAY. Johnson works for the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, which houses the National Center for College Students with Disabilities in partnership with the Association on Higher Education and Disability. One of his focus areas is the transition of students with disabilities from K-12 schools to postsecondary education and careers.

 So, how do you help your child find colleges that best fit their needs?

You and your child can start with your high school’s guidance counselor and your child’s teachers, as well as advocates for people with your child’s disability. “They may have insights into colleges and universities that provide strong support for students with disabilities,” George Giuliani, PsyD, an executive director of NASET, tells TODAY.

That turned out to be a great starting point for my family. Advocates for deaf students told us about Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The school has more than 1,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing students, which means it has a deep well of support services for students like Mark.

A school that seems like a perfect fit won’t work if it’s outside of your family’s budget. Look into how much the schools on your child’s list will cost and what financial aid might be available. Some students with disabilities qualify for scholarships, grants or government funding.

That was the case for my son — RIT offers reduced tuition for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, thanks to federal funding. Advocacy groups for your child’s disability may be able to help you find lower-cost schools. You can also contact the vocational rehab office in your state.

You should be able to find college and university disability services offices on the schools’ websites. Once you’ve reviewed the website, work with your child to make a list of questions. What services did your child need to succeed in high school? Do they anticipate needing the same services, or others?

Contact the disability services offices, ask your questions and learn how the schools support students in the classroom and on campus.

“Learn about the services they offer, eligibility criteria and procedures for requesting accommodations,” Giuliani says. “Find out about how the college or university provides disability-related education and its overall commitment to equality and access in its programs and services.”

If you can, tour your child’s top-choice schools. “We all know a website does not give nearly the picture you need when making a college decision,” Pierangelo says. Consider:

• The facilities and resources for students with disabilities.
• The overall campus culture.
• Support such as counseling and health services.

Accommodations in housing, transportation, extracurricular activities and campus events. (The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in dorms and on-campus housing.)

If your child has a physical disability, note ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms and designated parking spaces.

As soon as your child has decided on the school they’ll attend, they should register with the disability services office and meet with the staff to discuss their disabilities and the accommodations and support services they will need.

“In college, you don’t have the protections of an IEP. You have to acknowledge your disability and how it affects your learning,” Johnson says. But your child can use IEPs or 504 plans from high school to help document their disability and show what services and accommodations they needed.

After accommodations are approved, your child should meet with their professors to discuss the adjustments they need for exams, assignments, class participation and other aspects of the course. The school may let the professors know that your child has accommodations, but your child needs to talk with the professors about how they’ll be implemented in each class.

Your child’s needs might change over time, or for specific courses. If that happens, your child should talk to their professors or the disability services office.

That requires some self-advocacy skills, which your child may need to develop — my son did. He wasn’t great at advocating for himself at first. But as he got into his coursework and realized how much accommodations helped him, he started to speak up and ask for what he needed. And it worked. It wasn’t always a smooth journey, but he crossed that finish line and earned his degree.

By choosing the school that’s the best fit for your child, you can make it more likely that they get there, too.