CTP Program Brief: Students and Families

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Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary Programs

Image of multiple students in caps and gowns, as well as two students in a classroom. The students are both in masks.

Kentucky Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Program Brief for Students and Families

Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs (CTPs) were created by the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA, 2008). These programs support students with intellectual disabilities (ID) who want to attend a college or university.

CTPs include:

What does it mean for students?

Eligible students with ID, as defined by the HEOA, who are enrolled in an approved CTP have opportunity to take challenging and meaningful credit and non-credit courses in their chosen fields of study.

Students enrolled in an approved CTP are eligible for federal and state financial assistance. This includes students who don’t have a high school diploma and may not be working toward a degree.

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.

Students with ID may have questions about options for going to college.

Is college possible? How do I prepare? How do I apply? Can I afford it? How do I find the right college? What else do I need to know?

Answers to these questions can be found at www.thinkcollege.net/family-resources

CTPs were created to increase access to higher education for students with ID. CTPs provide support for students to:

  • Take college courses that lead to a certificate or diploma
  • Receive assistance in developing an individualized program of study
  • Take courses (for a grade, audit, or pass/fail) with academic accommodations
  • Receive academic and social supports, like peer mentoring and tutoring
  • Have opportunities for work experiences and internships
  • Foster self-reliance and self-determination

There are five approved CTPs in Kentucky:

Additional Information

To learn more, students and families may wish to talk to a teacher, school or vocational rehabilitation counselor and/or their Admissions and Release Committee (ARC).

Think College offers helpful information for students preparing to go to college and useful resources for families. To explore these resources, visit: www.thinkcollege.net/resources

If you would like to watch stories of other students with ID who have gone to college, you can find those here: www.tinyurl.com/yxaz3lco

Last updated 9/13/2023. To view the latest version of this document, visit www.kshep.hdiuky.org/resources

For more information, please contact:

For more information, please contact:

Johnny W. Collett
Deputy Director
(859) 257-2304

johnny.collett@uky.edu

johnny.collett@uky.edu