Expanding Postsecondary and Employment Opportunities for Students with
Intellectual Disabilities through the Higher Education Act
The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act provides an opportunity to remove barriers to
postsecondary learning and employment for students with intellectual disabilities (mental
retardation and related disabilities). Expanding the Act to have new authority to fund model
demonstration projects and to permit Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to provide work
study jobs will promote self-sufficiency and a better future for these students.
Work Study Jobs: During the 109th Congress, The US House passed an amendment to H.R.
609, the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005, that would allow colleges to offer work
study jobs to students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in comprehensive postsecondary
programs. This amendment to the Higher Education Act would allow these students to obtain
valuable, paid work experience while pursuing their studies. The amendment passed on a voice
vote, with strong bipartisan support. Representative Pete Sessions introduced the amendment and
Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon and Rep. George Miller both spoke in favor of it.
Including this amendment in the reauthorization in the 110th Congress, with minor clarifications,
would be a real breakthrough for students with intellectual disabilities, who typically cannot
access student financial aid. If an IHE chooses to offer work study jobs to these students, it
would need to develop a plan outlining how work assistance will be awarded, including: a
description of how the IHE will be determine which students will receive work assistance, how
the student’s financial need will be determined, the types of jobs, terms of employment (number
of hour, pay, etc.); and the requirement that the Federal share shall not exceed 75%. The student
must be enrolled in the equivalent of half-time enrollment, and making satisfactory progress, in a
comprehensive transition and postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities.
Students in such programs participate in a variety of academic and vocational work. Suggested
clarifications include clarifying that a student with intellectual disabilities is a student with
mental retardation, as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or a
student with another disability, as defined in IDEA, if the student also has a significant cognitive
disability that has a substantial impact on learning. The student may still be eligible for IDEA
services or may be a college-age adult.
Background: According to the 2004 report of the President’s Committee for People with
Intellectual Disabilities, in 2002 around 90% of adults with intellectual disabilities (mental
retardation) were not employed; 26% of youth with intellectual disabilities dropped out of
school; fewer than 15% participated in postsecondary education; and over 700,000 people with
intellectual disabilities lived with parents aged 60 or over.
Students with intellectual disabilities have made significant progress under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). A growing number of two
and four-year colleges and universities are now including students with intellectual disabilities in
educational, independent living and vocational programs. Students in comprehensive transition
and postsecondary programs receive a variety of supports and are often provided opportunities to
participate in regular college classes with support from peer mentors or instructional staff. They
also may audit or otherwise participate in regular courses, participate in internships and other
vocational opportunities, or enroll in courses specially designed for students with intellectual
disabilities. Over one hundred such programs are listed on the US Department of Educationfunded website: www.thinkcollege.net. The increasing numbers of such programs reflects the
strong need for a variety of postsecondary education opportunities for this population of students.
These students should have access to postsecondary education, and the resulting employment
and independent living opportunities, just as their non-disabled peers do.
Current Funding: Some school districts are supporting postsecondary opportunities for students
still eligible for special education under IDEA – those students who have not yet received a
diploma or “aged out” of receiving services (typically at age 22). This support is being provided
in a number of ways, including “dual enrollment” programs with agreements between the
postsecondary institution and the district; funding through the Individualized Education Program
(IEP) process for tuition, transportation, and other supports for individual students to participate;
or providing some services for “parentally placed” students with disabilities. While funding for
individual students may also be available through the vocational rehabilitation system, Social
Security system, or Department of Labor programs, accessing those funds can be a daunting
challenge. The largest source of funds is the students’ parents—who are already stretched thin
financially. This is particularly true of students who are over the age of 21.
Research Shows Results: Already research has shown that these comprehensive transition and
postsecondary programs have had a positive impact on student rates of employment and wages,
social networks, and self-determination skills (Guenette, 2003). Recent studies indicate that
employment training and community participation are strengths of this model of service delivery,
with 87% of students in one state reported to be employed or in training positions and 100% of
students reported to be involved in integrated community activities (Neubert, Moon, & Grigal,
2004). Another study found that participation in postsecondary education correlated positively
with competitive and independent employment (Zafft, Hart, & Zimbrich, 2004). Unemployment,
long waiting lists for housing and employment supports, isolation and living at home with aging
parents is often the typical status quo for adults with intellectual disabilities. This data indicates
that these programs are offering new hope and leading to greater employment, independence and
community living for students with intellectual disabilities.
Model Demonstration Authority Needed: Title VII of the Higher Education Act should be
expanded to include authority for “Model Demonstration Inclusive Transition and Postsecondary
Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities”. As indicated above, over 100 programs
have “sprung up” around the country. There is a great need to develop replicable, high-quality,
model programs—through starting new programs or expanding current ones. IHEs, individuals
with intellectual disabilities, and their families, are hungry for information about how to develop
model programs focused on academic enrichment, socialization, independent living, vocational
skills and integrated work experience. Model programs would provide individual supports for
academic and social inclusion, person-centered planning, training in independent living and selfadvocacy skills, vocational experiences, and promote partnerships among agencies.
A coordinating center would provide networking opportunities and technical assistance to the
model programs and develop an evaluation protocol. It would also coordinate the development of
model criteria and procedures to be used in accrediting comprehensive programs.
Conclusion: Expanding the Act to authorize model program funding and to allow work study
assistance will help make it possible for students with intellectual disabilities to achieve
previously unattainable higher education goals, leading to gainful employment and more
productive, self-sufficient lives in the community.
For more information, contact: Stephanie Smith Lee, Senior Policy Advisor, National Down Syndrome
Society, at slee@ndss.org or (703) 938-4041