Author: Teresa Belluscio

CTP Program Brief: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Professionals

As vocational rehabilitation professionals, our job is to empower individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, achieve economic self-sufficiency and independence, and contribute to society. This includes doing all that we can to support the success of eligible consumers with intellectual disabilities enrolled in Kentucky Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs.
Cora McNabb, Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

CTPs were created by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA, 2008). They support students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) who want to continue academic, career, or technical instruction in higher education to better prepare for competitive integrated employment and independent living. CTPs:

• utilize person-centered planning to help students identify and explore career goals, which may include paid work and non-paid work-based experiences
• facilitate the social and academic integration of students on a college campus
• provide support to navigate all elements of college life, including admissions, coursework, work experiences, and extracurricular activities

Students enrolled in an approved CTP must have a documented ID, as defined by the HEOA.

Students with ID enrolled in an approved CTP can access federal financial aid for which they qualify and state financial aid from the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, and College Access Program grant programs, if eligible. Students and families can contact the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) at (800) 928-8926 or visit kheaa.com for help with the financial aid process.

To learn more about financial assistance for students enrolled in an approved Kentucky CTP, see CTP Brief: Student Financial Assistance.

VR’s mission includes supporting eligible students with ID in obtaining competitive integrated employment and attending inclusive higher education programs such as CTPs.

A national study of over 9,400 transition age, supported employees with ID served by vocational rehabilitation found that individuals who had completed at least some postsecondary education were more likely to be employed, work more hours, earn more per hour, and were employed in a greater range of vocations (Cimera et al., 2018).

Another study found that 64% of students with ID who had attended an inclusive higher education program were employed one year after college exit (Grigal et al., 2019).

Postsecondary education is also associated with increased capacity for growth in independent skills, including increased soft skills and self-determination practice, and with satisfying social lives (Grigal et al., 2021).

As VR Professionals and stakeholders work with eligible and potentially eligible students with ID, they may wish to consider:

• Would attending a CTP support the student’s employment goal on the IPE?
• How can VR and local education agency staff increase collaboration and coordination to support the student’s CTP participation?
• How can VR professionals support student engagement in vocationally relevant services and activities while attending a CTP, in preparation for competitive integrated employment?
• What are ways VR professionals can inform students and families about higher education options such as CTP programs?
• How can VR professionals and CTP staff better coordinate opportunities and services for eligible consumers?

Cimera, R., Thoma, C., Whittenburg, H., & Rohl, A. (2018). Is getting a postsecondary education a good investment for supported employees with intellectual disability and taxpayers? Inclusion, 6 (2), 97- 109.

Grigal, M., Hart, D., Papay, C., Smith, F., Domin, D. & Lazo, R. (2019). Year Four Annual Report of the TPSID Model Demonstration Projects (2018–2019). Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion.

Grigal, M., Dukes,L.L., Walker, Z. (2021). Advancing Access to Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability in the United States. Disabilities. 2021; 1(4):438-449.