Admissions Eligibility
Perhaps the most important concept to understand about the difference between secondary and postsecondary education is difference between entitlement and eligibility. At the college level, education is no longer a right or an entitlement, but a matter of eligibility. Eligibility for adult services, including postsecondary education, for a person with a disability is defined by the regulations of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504. In order for a student to be accepted at the college of her choice, she must, with or without reasonable accommodations, meet the entry level admissions criteria for that institution, which are established for all potential students by the college. Then she must also meet the admission program requirements for the academic program she wishes to study.
One of the most confusing issues for parents and students alike when considering college options is the importance of the type of diploma that the student receives at high school graduation. A Regents or local diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) will fulfill the diploma requirements of any college in New York State (NYS). An Individualized Education Diploma (IEP diploma) does not. Earning an IEP diploma means that the student did not meet the NYS requirements for a Regents or local diploma and therefore he is not a high school graduate. If a student is applying to a college that requires that all applicants hold a high school diploma or GED in order to be considered for admission (4-year colleges and universities have this requirement), and he earned an IEP diploma, he does not meet the admissions eligibility for that college and will not be accepted. Not all community colleges or other junior colleges require a high school diploma for admissions. Many have various kinds of high school equivalency diploma programs. Some of those programs carry college degree credits that can also be applied toward an Associate’s Degree, and some carry no degree credit.