Document

Over the course of two years, the ASTEP program at Minot State University developed a university certificate and a stackable AAS degree. In partnership with the North Dakota Impact Consortium, this successful model has been used to develop a university recognized credential at a second university in North Dakota with a third and fourth on their way. Related resources include:

The Co-Op Program at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) recently developed and had approved the first pre-baccalaureate certificate offered by the University of Illinois state system. In this slide deck, Kaitlin Stober, Program Coordinator of University Illinois Chicago’s Co-Op Program, outlines her team’s approach to building a meaningful credential for students in inclusive postsecondary education. The Co-Op Program was funded during the 2020 TPSID cycle, and started operating as an official, credit-bearing university certificate in Fall 2022.

This worksheet from the University of Central Florida is an example of a Semester Student Audit Form providing a visual accounting of how the student is meeting the program requirements for the semester and documentation of Satisfactory Academic Progress. A PDF is provided with an example of a filled out form. An Excel version is also provided so you may update the form to fit your needs.

More students with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) are attending post-secondary education than ever before. As more students with IDD enter college, inclusive post-secondary education programs (IPSE) will be required to make important decisions about the types of services and supports they provide. IPSE program staff should aim to provide supports and services that honor students’ dignity of risk and facilitate opportunities for students to take risks.

This legislation, enacted in July 2022, includes provisions that remove barriers precluding persons with intellectual disabilties (ID) and autism from participating in state colleges and universities.

One important aspect of program development is to create a program budget reflecting anticipated expenses and program income.  These proforma budget examples are provided to assist programs in developing their own budget. Examples for both a university program and a community college program have been provided by IN: Pathways to Inclusive Higher Education (Colorado), and LeadLearnLive (Oklahoma) provides a university example. 

This infographic provides a picture of inclusive postsecondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Florida. It shares information on scholarships, a map and contact information for 19 inclusive college programs across Florida, and some answers to common questions families and students ask. It was created by the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and is available in English and Spanish.

This bill, passed in 2022, establishes scholarships (College Transition Program Scholarship) for students with intellectual disability (ID) attending a CTP inclusive postsecondary program. In-state students may receive up to $5,000/semester in scholarship money, regardless of financial need. Similar to prior years, the state budget also includes needs-based funds for students with ID.

Mentors are often used to support students with intellectual disability as they transition to college. They are typically other college students who assist with academics, adjusting to college life, connect these new college students to campus clubs, organizations, and services, and support them to engage in campus activities. Such mentor models are as diverse as the institutions in which the students are enrolled.