Resources for College-Bound Students

Click on any link in red to connect to more information.  
We also encourage you to check out more resources at the
​Clearinghouse at the National Center for College Students with Disabilities!

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GET READY ACADEMICALLY.

• Take courses that are challenging, and ask teachers if you're on track. 
• Consider types of college and whether you might need to take remedial courses in college.  
• Find out how high school and college are different for students with disabilities
• Be sure to take the SAT test or ACT test, since most colleges require one of these - learn about how to get test accommodations for your disability if you got test accommodations in high school. 
• If you have an intellectual disability like Down Syndrome, or Fragile X you may still be able to have a college experience

KNOW YOURSELF WELL. 

• Learn how to maximize all your strengths and figure out how you learn best.

• Ask teachers if you can lead your IEP meetings (or Section 504 plan meetings). Learn about your disability.

• What helps you get through problems - your friends?  your parents?  your faith? Compare colleges and learn details about each college of interest to you to find what you need.
• Find a mentor and ask for advice.  It can be especially good to find a mentor in the same field you want to study - they might have some tips.

 BE PROUD. 

• Be fiercely proud of all the strengths you have and what you can offer a college.

• Learn about disability and other Black and African American people with disabilities who went to college.

• Find resources and disability groups on your campus.  Your disability experience made you who you are  - embrace it.

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SHOP FOR COLLEGES.

• Check out your options.  Go to college fairs.  Explore different colleges online. 
• Visit colleges, if possible, or check to see if they have online "video tours" through the admissions office or online.  

• Apply to at least two colleges.
• Plan to live on campus, if possible. Students who live on campus tend to be more involved and graduate.

THINK ABOUT DISABILITY ISSUES.

• If you 're in high school and you have an IEP, 504 Plan, or special education services, ask for a "transition planning meeting" as soon as you can to start planning for college.
• Don't assume good schools will have good disability services - get as much information as you can.
• Find out your rights and responsibilities - there is no special ed in college, but there are disability services; you will also need to tell the college you have a disability (they won't try to find you)
• If you are in high school or the military, ask for an evaluation of your disability before you're done - colleges need proof of your disability and will not pay for it.
• Figure out whether to talk about your disability in your college application - some people think it's a good idea and some people do not.
• If you or your parents get social security, check to see how college expenses might affect that.

FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE.

• Fill out a FAFSA as soon as possible.
• Don't get "sticker shock" - figure out how much a college education will actually cost at each college, using online calculators for college costs or ask admissions offices to help you figure out the "real" costs involved. 
• The campus with high tuition might actually offer lots of financial aid to help you out, and the local state college might not. 
• Start saving money and checking out financial aid options like scholarships, grants, and work study. Know different kinds of financial aid.
• Find financial aid for students with disabilities and consider other sources of possible financial assistance, like Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Affairs or TRiO programs that may be located on campuses you're interested in attending.