Students with IEPs lose all disability accommodations the day they enroll in college
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In K-12, students with learning disabilities (dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum, etc.) receive accommodations through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The school is responsible for identifying the disability, creating the plan, and providing services. The day that student enrolls in college, IDEA no longer applies — the ADA takes over, and the burden flips entirely to the student. They must self-identify to the disability services office, provide current documentation (their high school IEP is usually rejected as insufficient), and get a new psychoeducational evaluation that costs $2,000-$5,000 out of pocket and has a 3-6 month waitlist. So what? For the entire first semester — the most critical adjustment period — these students have zero accommodations. No extended test time, no note-taking assistance, no preferential seating. So what? Students with learning disabilities who received support in high school fail their first college semester at dramatically higher rates, often landing on academic probation before they've even figured out the accommodation process. Why does this persist? IDEA and ADA are administered by different federal agencies (Department of Education vs. DOJ) with no transition protocol between them, and colleges have no legal obligation to accept K-12 documentation.
Evidence
The National Center for Learning Disabilities reports that while 14% of K-12 students receive special education services under IDEA, only 2% of college students register with disability services — suggesting massive drop-off. A 2018 study in the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability found that 60% of students with IEPs did not register for accommodations in their first semester of college. The average cost of a psychoeducational evaluation ranges from $2,000-$5,000 (American Psychological Association). The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 found that only 35% of students with learning disabilities who enrolled in four-year colleges completed a degree within 8 years.