Insight Brief

In 2020, AUCD and the Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) conducted a national survey that examined how individual DD Councils were supporting postsecondary education for students with IDD at the state level.

College students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been involved in advocacy efforts to promote inclusive postsecondary education. These efforts include informing legislators, higher education personnel, school administrators, and IEP team members, as well as parents and prospective students, that inclusive postsecondary education is not only possible but an effective transition services model.

Bridgewater State University's EXCEL Program has made great strides in creating and maintaining inclusive postsecondary education experiences for students with IDD. This brief focuses on the work EXCEL program staff have accomplished by building an inclusive model, department by department, on their campus.

In this brief, the perspectives of special education administrators from Massachusetts and Indiana, who have been engaged in college-based transition services (CBTS), are shared. It summarizes the conversations they had during a fall 2019 Think College 

This Insight Brief discusses how students with intellectual disability can utilize federal financial aid to help pay for college. This publication was updated in 2025 to reflect current legislation and policy related to federal financial aid for students with intellectual disabilities. Links to relevant resources with the most current information were added. 

A plain language version of this document is available here.

Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers can provide support for individuals with intellectual disability participating in postsecondary education (PSE). HCBS waiver funding has been used to pay for peer support, career services, transportation, tuition, fees, and more (Parisi & Landau 2018). This Insight Brief explains how to access information on state HCBS waiver programs, how to review those programs, how to determine what waiver services can support PSE, and more.

This brief explores the state-level policy actions and trends that have occurred that are designed to strengthen inclusive PSE practices in several states.

Given the positive outcomes of postsecondary education (PSE) that are possible for individuals with ID, more states should consider allowing Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver participants the option to use waiver support to participate in PSE. Using HCBS waivers could greatly improve their likelihood of employment, as well as opportunities to experience greater community inclusion, personal satisfaction, and decreased reliance on publicly provided support services.

This brief, written by Think College partners at the Pacer Center, focuses on alternatives to guardianship. The authors take care to explain the different options available to families, and what the ramifications are for those options. In particular, this publication explains details and possible outcomes for power of attorney, supported decision-making, and guardianship. Examples are shared, as well as many additional resources.

An increasing number of states allow students with intellectual disability (ID) to use Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waivers to support participation in postsecondary education (PSE) programs. These waiver services support access to higher education for students receiving Medicaid services who might otherwise not be able to attend postsecondary education. This Insight Brief explains what Medicaid Waivers are, what PSE services they can be used for, and how to access waiver services.