The Advantages of 504 Plans for Incoming Freshmen with Disabilities

As students with disabilities approach graduation from high school, questions might linger over what kind of assistance will be available in college. An IEP might have provided effective accommodations throughout high school, but will these accommodations transfer to a new setting? Similarly, some students might have struggled throughout high school due to conditions that didn’t qualify them for special education services. What limitations will these conditions pose in college and what help will be available? A common solution might apply to each of these cases. Depending on their conditions, students in either case might quality for a 504 plan.

Not all students with disabilities qualify for services under the IDEA. A disabling condition must sufficiently interfere with progress in the general education curriculum for special education services via an IEP to be necessary. It also must fall under one of the disability categories described in the IDEA. Multidisciplinary teams make decisions about the needs of a student based on the IDEA’s criteria. For students who don’t qualify for special education but do have a condition that affects access to the general education curriculum, a 504 plan might be appropriate.

Students get IEPs according to the IDEA. Students get 504 plans according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The eligibility processes for either service are similar, but not identical. A student with a 504 plan alone does not receive special education services, but does receive individually tailored accommodations meant to facilitate educational access. Section 504 is more closely aligned with the ADA than with the IDEA. It is a civil rights protection, not an education law. IEPs and 504 plans each grant access, but 504 plans have more to do with granting access to the educational environment than to the general education curriculum. The assumption is students with 504 plans follow the general education curriculum with physical accommodations more than with the specially designed instruction an IEP might allow.

Everything about 504 plans—from the qualifying criteria to the protections afforded—is less specific and less encompassing than IEPs. However, Section 504 covers a broader range of conditions than the IDEA covers. Thus, students not eligible for IEPs might be eligible for 504 plans. Many students who have IEPs also qualify for 504 plans, but students with 504 plans alone less often will qualify for IEPs.

Revisions to Section 504 have expanded coverage to include a variety of mental health and attention-related conditions that generally aren’t addressed under special education law. Students with generalized anxiety, depression, or attention disorders readily can qualify for 504 plans. Students with physical disabilities also can qualify. Health conditions such as food allergies have been enough to qualify some students. Some overlap exists between conditions serviced by IEPs versus 504 plans, making eligibility potentially confusing. What must be remembered is the ultimate determinate of eligibility for either service is the manner in which a condition affects learning.

Perhaps the most crucial difference has to do with how students can use either form of support in college. The scope of an IEP ends when a student exists high school or a team determines services are no longer needed. A student can present an IEP to a college’s disability office, but this office isn’t bound to offer any of the accommodations listed in the document. This is where 504 plans have greater utility. Per the ADA, any entity receiving federal funding must acknowledge and respond to what is in a 504 plan. An office of disability must put the provisions of the plan in place. The plans follow students through college and even into the workplace in some cases. Because of this, 504 plans are attractive for parents looking to get needed support for their college-bound child. Students can have IEPs and 504 plans simultaneously. Many students with IEPs have 504 plans primarily so accommodations can follow beyond graduation. Even those with just 504 plans might have these more for use in college than in high school.

The 504 plan can be a lifeline for a freshman with a disabling condition. Whether or not the student had an IEP in high school, securing a 504 plan prior to enrolling in college might make a monumental difference in outcomes. College can be overwhelming for freshmen without disabilities. The added complexity of having to navigate college life with a disability can be a barrier to progress. Approaching the endeavor with a well-designed 504 plan is feasible and wise strategy. It might be prove to be indispensible for college students with disabilities.

Written by Jeff Hartman