Will my child's IEP or 504 plan follow them to college?

There are no IEPs in college. Eligibility for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — the federal law that requires schools to provide IEPs — ends when a student leaves high school. A student’s high school IEP will not transfer to the college environment, nor will the college create a new IEP for the student. There is no special education in a college degree program.

Similarly, a 504 plan also will not transfer to the college environment. Misconceptions about 504 plans arise out of the fact that postsecondary schools — just like K-12 schools — are subject to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by any programs or activities that receive federal funding, including publicly funded schools. Section 504 requires postsecondary schools to provide reasonable accommodations but does not require schools to develop 504 plans, nor to involve parents.

Colleges are required to work with any student who registers with their disability services office, review the student’s accommodation request, and if the student is found eligible, provide and implement accommodations as appropriate. For more information, see our full article College Accommodations for Students with Disabilities.