The resources below provide students (and their parents) resources to assist in choosing a college.
College Visit Checklist: This checklist provides questions students should ask about a College’s disabilities services so that their educational or job training experience is satisfying rewarding and productive.
Questions to ask-the Office of Disability Services: This short checklist from the Great Lakes ADA Center provides slightly different questions than those found in the “College Visit Checklist”
Building Toward a Better Future: A College Planning Guide for Students and Their Families: Inside this guide, you will find useful information and tips on preparing for college and becoming a successful applicant for college admission and financial aid. Prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Office of Science
Choosing a College: Originally printed in 1999 in the Postsecondary LD Report , a newsletter for guidance counselors, students with learning disabilities, parents and teachers featuring current information for making the right postsecondary choices, this piece provides some basic information about what students, especially those with disabilities, should review and consider when deciding to attend college and when choosing a college.
Best Colleges for Students with Disabilities: Prospective college students with disabilities will find that many campuses are equipped with offices and services that address accessibility, accommodation, and assistive technology for a diverse range of needs. Student services offices and disability coordinators at many colleges work to make campuses inclusive environments through specialized advocacy, support, and academic services. Additional resources available at Resource Guides.
Thinking About Going to a Career College or Technical School?: One post-high school option is to earn a certificate, degree, or diploma from a career college or technical school that will train you for a specific career, trade, or profession. The U.S. Department of Education offers questions individuals will want to ask before enrolling in a career college or technical school. With so many schools to choose from, it’s important that you know the kinds of questions to ask before enrolling. One key issue is whether the school is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or licensed by /the state in which it is located.This Web site can help you choose the right school to meet your career goals.
KnowHow2Go: KnowHow2GO is a campaign designed to encourage students and veterans to prepare for college. Explore the site to learn more about the steps you need to take to be college-ready.
Accredited Schools Online: This site allows students looking for online degree programs, to evaluate accredited online schools by major, state or degree level to narrow the field and find a higher education option that fits. (It’s essential that the schools students consider have been accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies and/or, if it’s an online-only school, by the Distance Education and Training Council. Accreditation means potential colleges and its target programs have been thoroughly vetted by an independent higher education agency endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.) The resources tab contains links to resources for students with disabilities and many other resources.
Online Colleges: More schools are now catering to students who cannot or prefer not to attend classes in the traditional, on-campus setting. Students can now earn a fully online degree in nearly every field of study. In an increasingly technological world, it is important for students to learn the skills necessary for not only succeeding in school, but for thriving in the digital workforce. Information at this site includes: overviews of schools that offer online programs, state by state and numerous topical guides. The data used at this site— including graduation rate, tuition, and financial aid rate — was gathered using the most recent information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a resource maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics. The newest information available is for the 2013-2014 school year.
Affordable Colleges Online: This site is designed to assist students choose an online college appropriate to their needs and interests. Information provided includes college rankings, and whether it is an accredited institution and much more. Of interest to students with disabilities are the resource page, College Resources for Students with Disabilities and Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
College Resources for Students with Disabilities: Support, Advocacy and Assistive Technology to Facilitate the Transition to Higher Education: With the advances of adaptive technologies and trend toward progressive legislation, prospective college students with disabilities now have countless resources available to make their transition to post secondary education less stressful. This site offers specific information and resources on a variety of different disabilities, and resources to help students learn how to make the transition into the workforce easier. The site also provides information about what students legal rights on campus are.
Going to College: This web site contains information about living college life with a disability. It’s designed for high school students and provides video clips, activities and additional resources that can help you get a head start in planning for college. Each module includes several activities that will help you to explore more about yourself, learn what to expect from college and equip you with important considerations and tasks to complete when planning for college. Share these with your parents, teachers and guidance counselor — you might just teach them a thing or two.
Going2College: This web site offers users opportunities to explore career options, plan for college, identify potential colleges and locate financial aid sources. Information is available specific to each state where users can learn about local services and programs to help them get to college.
WINAHEAD 