Inclusive Postsecondary Education

State

The Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities (FCSUA)
Signed into law by Florida’s governor on January 23, 2016, the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act (the Act) (FS 1004.6495) established the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida (the Center) and charged the Center with managing the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program (FPCTP) application and approval process. The Act also established criteria for FPCTP approval, scholarship awards for eligible students to attend approved programs, grant awards to promote new program development and existing program enhancements, and accountability requirements associated with these opportunities.

The FCSUA, located at the University of Central Florida, was created by the Florida Legislature in 2016. The purpose of the center is to increase independent living, inclusive and experiential postsecondary education and employment opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. Funding is available to help colleges set up new programs and also for student scholarships to attend these programs. There are several important distinctions between TPSID and FCSUA funding opportunities. FCSUA policies require the following:

•  Students must have exited from the K-12 system to be eligible for FCSUA scholarships.
•  Students may exceed the age of 22 and remain eligible for an FCSUA scholarship.
•  Postsecondary programs must have Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program (FPCTP) status or be in the application process to be eligible to receive grant funding.
•  Postsecondary programs must also be accessible to students who have exited the K-12 system.  The FCSUA website (https://fcsua.org/E_postsecondary.php) provides a listing and map of postsecondary education programs that serve students with intellectual disabilities in Florida, which includes the approved Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Programs (FPCTPs), as well as those not approved as such. For more information, visit www.FCSUA.org.     

The FCSUA website provides a listing and map of postsecondary education programs that serve students with intellectual disbilities in Florida, which includes the approved Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Programs (FCTPs), as well as those not approved as such. For more information on FCTPs, visit the webpage where the brochure can be found.

Resources

Increasing Postsecondary Opportunities and Success for Students and Youth with Disabilities
This document was released September 17, 2019 by the US Education Department, as a question/answer format, to clarify 4 target areas of postsecondary education for this population:

• Enrollment opportunities in postsecondary education programs for high school students with disabilities;
• Enrollment opportunities in postsecondary education programs for young adults with disabilities, who have exited the high school;
• Coordination of services, funded by IDEA and VR, students with disabilities may receive when attending a postsecondary education program;
• Access to financial aid for students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in comprehensive transition and postsecondary education programs.