The transition from high school to college can be difficult for all students: students with disabilities are no exception. Perhaps the most important difference to understand about the transition for students with disabilities between secondary (high school) and post-secondary (college) education is that at the college level, education is no longer a right or an entitlement, but rather a matter of eligibility.
Parents of students with disabilities often have difficulty with the transition from being an active part of the educational planning process for their child at the secondary level to the new role of on-lookers. They now have to acknowledge their son or daughter is a legal adult and, as such, is responsible for his/her educational planning. In fact, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) no person from the college can discuss confidential information, which includes anything related to grades or disabilities, with parents, without signed permission from the student.
Hopefully, the information contained below will provide students with disabilities and their families all the necessary facts to make this important transition from secondary to post-secondary education a successful one.
High School to College Comparison