Join up to participate in the Inclusive Postsecondary Education Day on May 1, 2024, to spread the word about post-secondary education for students with intellectual disability.
On May 1, 2024, Think College invites students, families, educators, allies, friends and supporters to share why inclusive postsecondary education is important. Students with intellectual disability who attend CTPs (Comprehensive Transition Programs) can continue to learn after high school, attend college, have access to financial aid if attending an approved CTP, and is more likely to have competitive jobs after college.
Inclusive Academics: Working with Faculty and Instructors to Support Academic Access
This webinar will explore strategies to engage with faculty, and activities including fostering awareness of inclusive postsecondary programs and students and adapting course content for students with intellectual disabilities who are auditing courses. Participants will receive insights and practices to promote meaningful collaborations with faculty and instructors.
Presenter: Chelsea Stinnett, PhD
DATE: April 18, 2024. 3:00-4:00 pm. EST.
This webinar is offered by Think College National Coordinating Center.
Western Kentucky University’s application to the US Dept of Ed to establish a CTP has been approved. WKU’s program is the 6th Comprehensive Transition Program that has been approved in the Commonwealth.
Resource: The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities
The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities website is an online resource center that can be used by youth and young adults with disabilities between the ages of 12-26 and their families and caregivers to learn about how to move (transition) from pediatric health care to adult health care. Pediatric health care is medical care for children ages birth to age 18. Once children reach age 18, they are most often referred to an adult healthcare provider. This website provides resources that empower youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities to become self-advocates in the transition process without gaps in health care service. The website provides videos for youth with disabilities to view that help them to understand their healthcare transition. Youth can listen to the real-life story of Hunter, who is a young adult with a disability, and his healthcare transition journey. In the video, Hunter describes the helpful tools he used to navigate a change in his own health care. Two additional videos show a young man with epilepsy named Kobe, who makes a healthcare transition, and Katie, who lives with cerebral palsy and other health issues who transitions from a pediatrician to an adult neurologist (a medical doctor who specializes in treating disorders of the brain and nervous system). Youth can interact with toolkits, quizzes, and workbooks on these topics.
The website also provides a comprehensive listing of resources for parents and caregivers, clinicians, and direct service providers. Those resources include topics such as changes in insurance and legal rights, interactive videos, toolkits, quick guides, and infographics.
University of Kentucky College and Career Studies students launch new podcast: Community Spotlight
Community Spotlight is a podcast highlighting different things on campus and in the community. It was started by Callie and Sara, two students in the College and Career Studies program at the University of Kentucky. Students explore campus or community events, resources, or activities each week and then work together to create a podcast episode featuring a chosen Community Spotlight.
Kentucky has a rich history in its commitment to inclusive spaces in post-secondary education. Over the last twenty years, multiple projects and initiatives have supported students with developmental disabilities as they engage in post-secondary education. The timeline below highlights some of the work that has gone into supporting students with their educational goals.
2005
Postsecondary Opportunities Workgroup (POW) is launched by families, young adults with intellectual disabilities, and Kentucky organizations.
2008
Postsecondary Inclusion Partnership PIP begins a three-year grant funded by the Commonwealth Council on Developmental Disabilities.
2010
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute is awarded a five-year $2.1 million federal grant Supported Higher Education Project, SHEP.
2011
A pilot between SHEP and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation provides support services on college campuses around Kentucky.
2012
SHEP staff and students with intellectual disabilities present to the Kentucky Legislative Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education.
A group from Murray State University, led by a parent advocate, expresses interest in starting a program on campus.
Representative Carl Rollins attends the POW meeting and hears concerns that SHEP students cannot utilize Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship Program money.
2013
Kentucky’s first U.S. Department of Education approved Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) program was established at Murray State University.
Kentucky Legislature unanimously passes a bill to allow students with alternate diplomas to access their KEES money.
2014
Bluegrass Community & Technical College Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) program approved.
SHEP, POW, and stakeholders explore expansion and sustainability options.
Spalding University Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) program approved.
2015
Northern Kentucky University Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) program approved.
2016
Partnerships in Employment State Systems Change grant.
Legislative action to increase KEES funding available to students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in Kentucky CTP programs.
2019
Inclusive Higher Education Webinar series.
2020
Kentucky State Budget addresses Supported Higher Education.
2021
Kentucky Supported Higher Education Partnership.
2022
University of Kentucky Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) program approved.
Legislative action expands the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship to include students with ID enrolled in Kentucky CTP programs.
2023
Owensboro Community and Technical College Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) program approved.
2024
Western Kentucky University Comprehensive Transition program approved.
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.
In Episode 1, Johnny Collett (HDI Deputy Director) and Erin Fitzgerald (CTP Coordinator) discuss inclusive higher education programs that support students with education and career goals.
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:
use person-centered planning to help students identify and explore career goals, which may include paid work and unpaid 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. This means a student:
With a cognitive impairment characterized by significant limitations in:
intellectual and cognitive functioning; and
adaptive behavior
Who is currently, or was formerly, eligible for a free appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
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.
How do students interested in a CTP apply for federal student financial assistance?
Students interested in enrolling in an approved CTP should complete the FAFSA each year at www.studentaid.gov and indicate which college(s) they want information sent.
The FAFSA asks about high school completion status. How do students answer this question and will this affect students’ eligibility for financial aid?
Students with any diploma or credential other than a standard high school diploma (e.g., alternative high school diploma, GED, no diploma) select “none of the above”. This answer will not affect eligibility for student aid if a student is enrolled in an approved CTP.
What does it mean if a FAFSA has been selected for verification?
In some cases, the U.S. Department of Education requires the financial aid office to verify the accuracy of certain information reported on the FAFSA. The school may request additional documentation from the student or parents to complete this review before federal student financial aid can be finalized. Being chosen for verification does not suggest that an error was
made on the FAFSA, and financial aid counselors can support students throughout the process.
What do students enrolled in a Kentucky CTP need to do to keep their federal student financial aid?
As outlined by college/university satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policies for students in CTPs, students must maintain SAP and meet the basic federal student aid eligibility requirements. Students must re-apply each year for federal aid by filing the FAFSA.
How do students enrolled in a Kentucky CTP receive their KEES funds?
College financial aid offices work directly with the statewide KEES coordinator at KHEAA to report enrollment and request the KEES CTP awards for eligible students (KRS 164.7882). KEES amounts for students enrolled in an approved CTP are $500 if enrolled in at least six (6) hours in an academic term; or $250 if enrolled in less than six (6) hours in an academic term. Note: KEES funds can only be awarded for fall and spring terms.
How do students enrolled in a Kentucky CTP continue to qualify for KEES awards?
All that is necessary to qualify for renewal of the KEES CTP award is for a student to maintain enrollment in the CTP and maintain satisfactory academic progress as outlined in the SAP policy. Students are eligible for KEES CTP awards for a maximum of eight (8) academic terms.
How can CTP students apply for the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship Program (WRKS)?
Does receiving financial aid/grants to pay for college affect Social Security benefits for CTP students?
Grants, scholarships, fellowships, or gifts received for educational expenses are not counted as income or resources by Social Security if they are used to pay for educational expenses in a timely manner. To learn more about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) when students turn 18, including how grants and scholarships affect SSI benefits, visit: www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11005.pdf
