"Historically, the graduation gap between students with disabilities and students without has been much higher at colleges and universities than high schools. For example, in 2022 the national high school graduation rate for differently abled students was 74 percent, compared to 87 percent over all. Meanwhile, the six-year graduation rate for differently abled students in bachelor's degree programs was 49.5 percent, compared to almost 68 percent for students without disabilities."
"The difference may stem largely from the fact that unlike eligible K-12 students, who are guaranteed access to an Individualized Education Program under the education-specific Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, college students are only protected by the broader Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. That means they have to advocate for themselves and go through complex bureaucratic processes to obtain accommodations, and the quality of those accommodations can vary broadly from college to college."
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services was among those hardest hit by mass layoffs at the Education Department on Oct. 10, leaving little federal capacity to ensure students with disabilities receive entitled supports. Only two people remain at the Office of Special Education Programs and very few remain in the Rehabilitative Services Administration. Graduation gaps widen in higher education: in 2022 high school graduation for students with disabilities was 74 percent versus 87 percent overall, while the six-year bachelor's rate for students with disabilities was 49.5 percent versus almost 68 percent for other students. K-12 students receive Individualized Education Programs under IDEA, while college students rely on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 and must self-advocate through complex, variable accommodation processes.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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