How do students with disabilities pay for college?

We are gathering input from students with disabilities of all types regarding financial aid for higher education. We need your feedback! You can help other youth with disabilities by sending us a brief e-mail.

My name is Rebecca Moore and I am writing on behalf of the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to the National Council on Disability (NCD). The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is composed of young adults with disabilities who advise the National Council on Disability (NCD) about issues faced by children, adolescents, and young adults with disabilities. Members of the YAC know how important it is for people with disabilities to succeed in college and are considering ways that the federal government can address related concerns. Advice from the YAC helps NCD to make recommendations to the President and Congress on disability issues such as special education, the transition to adulthood and independence, independent travel, rehabilitation, higher education, employment, health care, and other topics.

There is little information from people with disabilities about their higher education experiences, including financial challenges, barriers, and level of success. Stories from students affiliated with The Transverse Myelitis Association will help us expand what is known about these issues, so the support services provided to students with disabilities can be improved.

We want to hear from students about financial aid and disability experiences. We need for students with disabilities to write to us at youthfeedback[AT SIGN]yahoo.com so we can understand how disability and financial aid have affected their college or graduate school experience. We will use your anonymous quotes to help illustrate the obstacles students overcome and to support policy recommendations.

Written responses may also be submitted to:

Dr. Gerrie Hawkins
Youth Advisory Committee
National Council on Disability
1331 F St., NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004

Please return your comments by October 30, 2003.

Students: Are you wondering what to write about? Sharing a brief, informal note about your story will be a big help. We invite you to share as much of your story as is needed to explain your circumstances and the relationships between your disability expenses, college financial aid, vocational rehabilitation services, and other sources of support.

These are optional, guiding questions to help you think of stories, concerns, or suggestions to share in your brief e-mail. Writing about just one story or concern could be a big help to us.

1. If you disclosed your disability to your college, did this information affect your financial aid package? To what extent did your financial aid increase or decrease as a result of disclosing your disability?

2. What stories or suggestions could you share about how you have paid for school?

3. What stories or suggestions could you share about these concerns and their effect on your financial aid?

• Are you physically and mentally able to attend school at least half time?
• Can you meet your school's requirements for satisfactory academic progress?
  
• If you must take a reduced course load because of your disability, will you run out of eligibility for Pell Grants before you finish school?
  
• Are you physically and mentally able to participate in your college's work-study programs?

4. From where have you requested financial assistance for college? For example, do you have stories about working with resources such as any of the following:

• Offices at your college (financial aid office, disability services, student support services, etc.)
  
• Your state vocational rehabilitation agencies
  
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI)
  
• SSA Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)
  
• The SSA Ticket to Work Program and its rehabilitation agencies
  
• Educational Opportunity Programs (EOPs)
  
• TRIO outreach, retention, and student support programs

5. Have concerns about your disability affected your decisions about student loans? For example, some students are reluctant to borrow money for school because they wonder if they will be able to work and repay their loans.

6. What additional expenses did you face as a student with a disability?

• Please describe services or accommodations that your college funded. Examples: TTYs, speech recognition software, screen reading software, note takers, readers, sign language interpreters, transportation, personal assistants
• For what disability-related expenses have you not been able to receive funding from your college, vocational rehabilitation agency, or health insurance provider?

7. How do all of the support services you utilize work together? For example, what is the relationship between the assistance you receive from your college and the help available from vocational rehabilitation agencies?

8. If you are considering attending graduate school, from where will you seek financial support?

We will use your comments in a report advising the National Council on Disability about the concerns and needs of college and graduate students with disabilities. To receive a copy of this report subscribe to our Yahoo news list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ncdyacnews

You can help us by sending just one paragraph about a financial aid issue or concern that matters to you. We want to hear from you, so keep your notes short and send them soon! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Rebecca C. Moore
rebeccamoore[AT SIGN]optonline.net
Co-Vice Chair, Youth Advisory Committee
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW Suite 850 Washington, DC 20004
202-272-2004 Voice*
202-272-2074 TTY*
202-272-2022 FAX*
www.ncd.gov *
youthfeedback[AT SIGN]yahoo.com