Beyond Common ConsultingDr. Rachel Kraushaar, Ph.D., M.Phil., M.Ed.
College Accommodations

College Disability Services Aren’t High School Special Ed — Here’s What Actually Changes

By Dr. Rachel Kraushaar · July 8, 2026 · 6 min read
AccommodationsDisability ServicesCollege TransitionSelf-Advocacy
A college student meeting with a disability services advisor in a university office
In college, registering with the disability services office is the student’s responsibility — and the first step to putting accommodations in place.

Your student worked hard, got in, and you exhaled. Then a quieter worry sets in: Will the support that got them here follow them there?

Here is the honest answer every family deserves before move-in day: the high school support system does not transfer to college. Not because colleges don’t care — but because the law, the structure, and the responsibility all change. Understanding that shift early is the difference between a smooth first semester and a scramble in October.

The legal ground shifts from “entitlement” to “eligibility”

In high school, your student was covered by IDEA — the law behind IEPs and 504 plans. IDEA is an entitlement: the school is required to identify your child, evaluate them, write a plan, and deliver it. The system comes to you.

In college, IDEA no longer applies. Students are covered instead by the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws guarantee access and prohibit discrimination — but they are based on eligibility, not entitlement. Nothing happens automatically. The student must step forward, register, document their disability, and request accommodations. If they don’t, the college is under no obligation to do it for them.

A college student writing an email to a professor on a laptop
Self-advocacy — emailing a professor, explaining a need, and following up — is the single most important skill for the college transition.

What disappears in college

  • No IEPs or 504 plans. Colleges provide accommodations, not modified curricula. The content and standards stay the same for everyone.
  • No case manager tracking your student. No one checks whether they used their extended time or attended tutoring. Follow-through is on them.
  • You step back — legally. Under FERPA, your student is now an adult. The college talks to them, not you, unless your student signs a release.
  • Nothing is retroactive. A student who fails a midterm and then registers for accommodations cannot undo the grade.

What your student gains — if they ask

Registered students can receive meaningful, well-established accommodations: extended test time, a reduced-distraction testing space, note-taking support, priority registration, recorded lectures, and more. Some colleges go further with fee-based structured support programs (coaching, dedicated advisors). The support is real — it just has to be requested and documented.

The students who thrive aren’t the ones with the fewest challenges. They’re the ones who learned to name what they need and ask for it.

What to do — ideally junior year

  1. Get current documentation. Disability offices often want an evaluation within the last few years; a three-year-old IEP may not be enough.
  2. Research each college’s disability services office — not just whether one exists, but how responsive it is and what it requires. (More in our college-list guide.)
  3. Register early — ideally the summer before freshman year, so accommodations are in place on day one.
  4. Practice self-advocacy now. Let your student lead the emails and conversations while they’re still in high school.
  5. Sign the FERPA release if your family wants you to stay in the loop — and talk about what that will look like.
The reframe that helps: college doesn’t remove the safety net — it hands the net to your student and teaches them to hold it themselves. Done with preparation and grace, that transition is exactly what sets a neurodivergent student up not just to get in, but to thrive.

Frequently asked questions

Do 504 plans and IEPs transfer to college?
No. IEPs and 504 plans end at high school graduation. Colleges do not use them — instead they provide accommodations under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Your student must register with the disability services office and request accommodations; nothing carries over automatically.
Who is responsible for setting up accommodations in college?
The student. Unlike high school, where the school is required to identify and serve your child, college accommodations only happen if the student self-identifies, provides documentation, and asks. This is why self-advocacy is the most important skill to build before freshman year.
Can parents talk to the college about their child’s accommodations?
Only with a signed release. Once your student is in college, FERPA gives them — not you — the right to their education records. If your family wants you kept in the loop, your student can sign a FERPA release with the college.
When should we start the accommodations process?
Ideally junior year of high school. Gather current documentation, research each college’s disability office, and plan to register the summer before freshman year so supports are in place on day one.
Dr. Rachel Kraushaar, college admissions consultant

Dr. Rachel Kraushaar

English professor, essay coach, and educational consultant with 30+ years’ experience — and the parent of neurodivergent young adults. Ph.D., Columbia University.

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