Information 91¿´Æ¬ IEP and 504 Plans
A student may share their Individual Education Plan (IEP) with us for historical context. However, IEP or 504 Plans alone are not considered comprehensive medical documentation. They do not provide medical information to substantiate a need or request for accommodations. An IEP or a 504 Plan only gives educational documentation in the K-12 setting. They do not transfer with the student to the university.
Educational needs previously identified at the high school level may or may not be similar to current educational needs in higher education. They will depend on many new factors associated with the university environment as well as student accessibility concerns.
Students who wish to have accommodations in the higher education setting will need to provide appropriate documentation that indicates functional limitations at the university level.
This comprehensive documentation includes but is not limited to a psycho-educational evaluation report (ER) or a medical report from a physician or medical provider. A medical provider is an individual health professional or a health facility organization with a license to provide health care diagnosis and treatment services. Medical providers may also be licensed mental health professionals. The documentation should consist of the following:
- A formal diagnosis
- Functional limitations linking the diagnosis to the higher education environment
- Assessment tools and procedures used for the diagnosis
- Developmental history
- Recommendations of accommodations
- Medical documentation needs to be from within three years of acceptance into 91¿´Æ¬.
If the student has an IEP, they should contact their high school special education department, as they may have a copy of the student's initial medical or psychological report. The special education department in the school district generally keeps records of medical and psychological reports.
For more information, please refer to our documentation guidelines.