Legislation

Introduced in February 2019, this bill directs the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to inform students from 7th grade onwards about planning and preparing for postsecondary education opportunities. This includes students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their families, who should receive guidance on appropriate coursework to pursue in high school, how to plan for PSE early, how to evaluate PSE programs before applying to or enrolling in them, how to transfer credits across higher education institutions, and financial assistance options for PSE in Minnesota.

Enacted in July 2018, this legislation authorizes the Delaware Advance Scholarship Program, which provides scholarship opportunities for Delaware students with intellectual disabilities who are seeking a comprehensive certificate or degree at a public higher education institution. Scholarship recipients will receive grants to cover the cost of tuition at a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) at a state-funded higher education institution in Delaware.

Introduced in January 2018, this bill would have created the Vermont Promise Scholarship Program to provide tuition-free scholarships for Vermont students who attend the University of Vermont or a Vermont State College. In order to qualify for a Promise Scholarship, students must have been recently accepted or be enrolled fully at such an institution. Recipients must be Vermont residents seeking a certificate, associate's degree or bachelor's degree, and should be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours a semester with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

Introduced in March 2016, this Washington State bill proposed a blue ribbon commission to develop a strategic plan to improve education at all levels for students with disabilities. Commission members  include education advocates, researchers, educators, parents, students, and mental health professionals appointed by the governor.

This law, enacted in June 2015, requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to publicize information about PSE programs for students with IDD online and update it completely at least once every two years. The THECB must keep an online inventory of all such programs, and must also share those resources with the Texas Education Agency, which will use it to publish a guide on transition and employment.

This Tennessee act, signed in 2016, enables recipients of the STEP UP state scholarship to apply its funds to enrollment in two and four-year postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disability. This expands eligibility for the Tennessee STEP UP scholarship, for students with IDD who complete high school and pursue PSE at any college in the state with an approved comprehensive transition and postsecondary (CPT) programs.

This legislation, enacted in April 2016, directs Oklahoma institutes of higher education to work with all government agencies that provide services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to consider the development of comprehensive transition and postsecondary education (CTP) programs. Programs created from such partnerships must also include private sector businesses that can create practical learning opportunities for students. It also states that IHE transition programs must work with national disability groups to collect and analyze student outcome data.

This bill, introduced in 2016, but not passed, would have established new two-year pilot academic programs for students with intellectual disability. The programs would be located at four state universities and would admit at least ten new students every year. The programs would provide mentoring supports and internship/apprenticeship opportunities to students and will aim to promote independent living. The Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities would design the program and report regularly to the legislature.

This bill, passed in 2016, states that the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education must develop and administer a discretionary grant program to fund partnerships between public higher education institutions and school committees that create inclusive concurrent enrollment program options for students with IDD aged 18-21. The Executive Office of Education was charged with producing a report on the programs in question by December 2017.

A Task Force was created by the Maryland General Assembly in July 2013, as a result of this bill.  

Among the Task Force recommendations: