Ability to Benefit
Ability-to-Benefit is one of the most confusing issues a student may face in the transition to college planning process. Many people think that ‘Ability-to-Benefit’ is the name of a specific test like the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). It is not. Perhaps a little background will clear up the misconceptions.
In 1996, the US Congress decided to address the issue of the staggering number of people who signed contracts for guaranteed student loans and later defaulted on those loans. The result of this decision was the implementation of the ‘Ability-to-Benefit’ (ATB) legislation. It is important to remember that the intent of the ATB legislation was to significantly reduce the number of defaulted student loans. To achieve this goal, the US Department of Education was charged by Congress to identify a list of commonly administered standardized tests any one of which an individual who is a non-high school graduate can take to demonstrate that she has the intellectual ability to benefit from a college education. Each test has an established minimum passing score. Potential students who achieve scores above the minimum passing score demonstrate that they have the potential to succeed in college. A May 1999 revised list of tests whose scores are approved for administration for persons with disabilities is included in the RESOURCE section of this guide. Please note that the ACT exam has been removed from the ATB list. Students who do not achieve the minimum passing score are not eligible for federal financial aid in the form of student loans, PELL, SEOG, and will most likely be ineligible for the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) or support from the NYS Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).
Does this mean that an individual who does not test to the minimum passing score cannot attend college? No. That individual may be able to attend as a part-time, non-matriculated student. What does that mean? It means that the student is not admitted to the college or a specific academic department and is personally responsible for the cost of all tuition, books, and fees.