The Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network project was initially funded in 2021 as the Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability National Technical Assistance and Dissemination Center (PPSID: NTAD) by the Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education (Grant No. P407C210001). Project partners included the Association of University Centers on Disability, Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities, Midwest Inclusive Postsecondary Education Alliance, Southeast Postsecondary Education Alliance, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, and Westchester Institute for Human Development. The mission of the Center is to build awareness and capacity for increased access to higher education and employment for students with intellectual disability. The Center supports inclusive higher education programs across the country, extending the knowledge learned from the Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability (TPSID) model demonstration projects and applying it more widely.
Through the Think College Network project, we’ve supported the development of inclusive postsecondary education regional alliances across the country to support efforts and interests related to inclusive postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability. With our support, regional alliances have grown from two alliances in 2021 to nine alliances in 2024, covering the entire continental USA. We’ve offered outreach and support to representatives in 50 states and provided 800 hours of technical assistance. The Think College Network project also created a public awareness campaign—Think Higher, Think College— sharing the impact and importance of higher education for students with intellectual disability. The campaign website has been visited by over 21,000 people & campaign video viewed more than 39,000 times. We’ve tackled systemic gaps in the areas of vocational rehabilitation (VR) and career and technical education (CTE) through two workgroups. And we’ve developed resources and trainings to provide all institutions of higher education access to research-based and best practices.
Since the start of the Think College Network project, 25 new inclusive postsecondary education programs have been implemented, and reported student enrollment across the nation has increased by 31%. We’ve worked with strategic partners to broaden our capacity to achieve project goals. We are thrilled to share the news that the Think College Network project has been extended for a fourth year. This extension allows us to further our mission by completing and extending our significant and important scope of work. Stay tuned for more announcements about the planned activities for the upcoming year.
You can view the extension announcement in the Federal Register here.
Want to learn more about the Think College Network? Visit our project page or email us at thinkcollegeTA@umb.edu.