504 Plan and Individualized Education Program Accommodations

By Karen Treon, Senior Editor & College Parent

Did your student have a 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Program (IEP) at a public high school? Or a similar accommodation plan at a private high school? If your student had a plan in place to accommodate learning differences or a disability, they may be planning to seek similar accommodations in college. If your student in is in this situation, here are a few things to know:

• 504 Plans and IEPs end upon high school graduation – they do not carry over to college. Students need to initiate an accommodation request at their chosen university.

• Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to colleges and universities.  The UCLA website has a helpful overview called Accommodations 101. This is recommended reading for everyone - whether or not your student is attending UCLA.

• Every college will have an office responsible for accommodations. Your student should be able to find the contact information for that office on the school website. (And if they can’t find it, they can contact the admissions office to be pointed in the right direction.)

• Your student should SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT NOW! Sorry to put that in bold, but these offices get busy and the process takes some time. Waiting until school starts to get the process underway could result in a significant delay in implementing the accommodations.

• Your student should have on hand a copy of the 504 Plan, IEP, or other accommodation plan they had in place in high school, as this will be helpful to the accommodations office. Your student’s high school can provide you with a copy of that document.

• Although every school is a little bit different, at most schools a student will be assigned an advisor from the accommodations office. We suggest that your student stay in touch with their accommodations advisor and develop a relationship.

• We recommend that parents review the plan with their student, especially to make sure that their student understands whether they need to review and renew the plan each year.

• Keep in mind that additional resources are likely available. Some schools have programs dedicated to supporting students with disabilities or learning differences, and all schools have tutoring and student success centers available for all students. One of the most common reactions a college student has after visiting a tutoring center or student success center is “I wish I had gone there sooner!”

Good luck to your student!