A: No. A person can apply for the CCS program whether they received a standard high school diploma, a Kentucky alternative high school diploma (KRS 156.160(1)(e)), or no diploma.
Author: Teresa Belluscio
Is CCS a degree program or a non-degree program?
A: The CCS Program is a non-degree program. While the program does not result in a university degree or specific career certification, it supports students to take classes, explore career options, and engage in campus activities. Successful completion of this program results in a meaningful credential that reflects these activities and accomplishments.
Is there a residential component to the College and Career Studies program?
A: No. Students commute to and from campus.
How is “intellectual disability” defined in relation to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008?
“Student with an intellectual disability means a student –
(1) With a cognitive impairment characterized by significant limitations in –
(i) Intellectual and cognitive functioning; and
(ii) Adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills; and
(2) Who is currently, or was formerly, eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1401), including a student who was determined eligible for special education or related services under the IDEA but was home-schooled or attended private school.”
[Source link: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-668/subpart-O/section-668.231] This resource from Think College may also be useful in determining eligibility: https://thinkcollege.net/resource/admissions-ctp-application-process-program-development/defining-and-documenting
Who is eligible for the College and Career Studies program?
A: To be eligible for this program, applicants must have a documented intellectual disability as defined by the Higher Education Opportunity Act, 2008.
CTP Program Brief: Educators
Kentucky Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Program Brief for Educators
As Educators, our job is not just to get students to graduation, but to prepare them for life after they leave high school. For some students with intellectual disabilities, that may include enrollment in one of Kentucky’s Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary programs.
Jason E. Glass, Ed.D., Kentucky Education Commissioner
In Kentucky, there are increasingly more higher education options for students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This brief is intended to assist educators in supporting students with ID in pursuing their postsecondary education and employment goals.
Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary Programs (CTPs)
CTPs were created by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA, 2008). They support students with 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.
CTP Program Eligibility
Students enrolled in an approved CTP must have a documented ID, as defined by the HEOA.
Student Financial Assistance
Student Financial Assistance:
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.
What Educators May Wish to Consider
As Admissions and Release Committees develop measurable postsecondary goals in the areas of education/ training, employment, and, if applicable, independent living, members may wish to consider:
- Is enrollment in higher education a desired goal for the student, including, if appropriate, enrollment in a CTP? If so, what transition services might the student need to achieve their goal?
- Do the student’s IEP goals align, as appropriate, with interests identified in their Individual Learning Plan, the employment goal as stated in their Individualized Plan for Employment (if eligible for VR services), Pre-employment Transition Services the student may be receiving, etc.?
- Is the student eligible or potentially eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services?
- How can LEA and VR staff increase collaboration and coordination to support the student’s postsecondary employment goal(s)?
- What are some ways the LEA can increase the awareness and understanding of students and families about higher education options for students with ID, such as CTP programs?
There are six approved CTPs in Kentucky:
- Think College has transition IEP goals and activities to prepare for inclusive postsecondary education: View the resource here.
- “Rethinking College,” a film that explores the growing movement to include students with ID in higher education.
- Employment First Kentucky
- Increasing Postsecondary Opportunities and Success for Students and Youth with Disabilities (ED, 2019)
Last updated 5/19/2023. To view the latest version of this document, visit www.kshep.hdiuky.org/resources
For more information, please contact:
Johnny W. Collett
Deputy Director
(859) 257-2304
CTP Program Brief: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Professionals
CTP Program Brief: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Professionals
Kentucky Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Program Brief for 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
Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary Programs (CTPs)
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
CTP Program Eligibility
Students enrolled in an approved CTP must have a documented ID, as defined by the HEOA.
Student Financial Assistance:
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.
Higher Education and Improved Employment Outcomes
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?
There are six approved CTPs in Kentucky:
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.
Last updated 5/19/2023. To view the latest version of this document, visit www.kshep.hdiuky.org/resources
For more information, please contact:
Johnny W. Collett
Deputy Director
(859) 257-2304
May 2023 KSHEP Newsletter
May 2023 KSHEP Newsletter
If you experience problems accessing the May 2023 KSHEP Newsletter, please get in touch with erin.fitzgerald@uky.edu for a copy in an alternate format.
OCTC offering program to support students with intellectual disabilities wanting to attend college
OCTC offering program to support students with intellectual disabilities wanting to attend college
Read the original article in the Owensboro Times
KET Feature on Inclusive Higher Education
KET Feature on Inclusive Higher Education
Watch Erin Fitzgerald’s interview with Kentucky Today on KET (Kentucky Educational Television).