The Transition Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) Model Demonstration Projects are required to support students through a focus on academic, social, employment, and independent living strategies. Twenty-seven five-year grants started on October 1, 2010. The range of strategies implemented by these grantees suggests that there is not a one-size-fits-all model for program implementation.
This article discusses the recent changes to the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA), P.L. 110-315, which have resulted in providing greater access to college programs to students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Prior to the amendments to HEOA, only students who were enrolled full time in a degree bearing program were eligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) under title IV of Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA form is the gateway to all federal student aid including Pell grants, Stafford and Perkins Loans, and Student Work Study Programs.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 was signed into law on August 14, 2008. This is the first reauthorization in nearly a decade of important legislation covering federal student aid and major postsecondary education initiatives in the United States. The reauthorization contains new and revised provisions that will significantly improve postsecondary opportunities and supports for students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disabilities. In addition, there are also key provisions to improve preparation of teachers and professionals in K-12 education.
This is the first Insight Brief published by Think College. The Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110-315) (HEOA) was enacted on August 14, 2008 and it reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965. This law contains a number of important new provisions that will improve access to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. Of particular note are several provisions that address financial aid and that create a new model demonstration program and coordinating center for students with intellectual disabilities.
The amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in 2004 reiterate the significance of producing real postsecondary education, employment, and independent living outcomes. However, current employment data continue to show widespread unemployment and very limited access to inclusive community environments and services for adults with severe intellectual disabilities. On the contrary, data from the Transition Service Integration Model (N. J.
This chapter examines the myriad new provisions in HEOA intended to improve access to higher education for students with disabilities as well as HEOA's provisions related to preparing teachers to effectively instruct students with disabilities in the K-12 environment. Multiple new provisions reflect an invigorated commitment to developing a workforce for today's schools - schools with unprecedented diversity - and to addressing the critical teacher shortages, including special education.
Think College Insight Brief #7 provides some background on IDEA, describes the connection between IDEA and postsecondary education for students with ID, and shares strategies that advocates can use to influence the next reauthorization.
