TRANSITION GUIDE

A TRANSITION GUIDE TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT FOR STUDENTS AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES
The student’s IPE lists the services that the VR agency and other responsible parties will provide. VR
financial support commonly listed in an IPE could include the following postsecondary expenses:
• Vocational and other training services;
• Personal and vocational adjustment training; and
• Advanced training in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, computer
science, medicine, law, or business in an institution of higher education (universities, colleges,
vocational schools, technical institutes, hospital schools of nursing or any other postsecondary
education institution) books, tools; and other training materials.
Before the VR agency can provide financial support for most VR services, the VR agency and the student
must identify other sources of funding. This requirement is frequently referred to as a search for
comparable benefits under the VR program. With respect to the provision of training, including
postsecondary education at an institution of higher education (IHE), both the VR counselor and student
or representative, as appropriate, must make every effort to secure grant assistance from other sources
to pay for that training prior to the VR agency providing financial support.
Pell grants are identified as grant assistance through the FAFSA and would be included in a search for
comparable benefits. However, scholarships or awards based on merit or student loans do not count as
grant assistance, for purposes of searching for comparable benefits, under the VR program. The VR
program does not require a student to apply for merit-based scholarships or awards or apply for student
loans. If a student accepts a merit-based scholarship that is restricted to specific costs, such as tuition,
fees, room and board, the VR program will take that reduction in expenses into consideration when
calculating the amount it could pay to assist the student in order to avoid duplication in funding.
Interagency Agreements between State VR Agencies and Public Institutions of
Higher Education
To ensure that students with disabilities are able to access services that enable them to fully participate
in education, VR agencies must enter into an interagency agreement or other mechanism for interagency
coordination with public IHEs in the State. The agreement or mechanism must address the coordination
of services, agency financial responsibilities, provision of accommodations and auxiliary aids and
services, reimbursement matters, and procedures for resolving interagency disputes. The local VR agency
and DSS office can assist students and families with connecting to the support services offered at IHEs.
Postsecondary Education and Training Programs and Opportunities
The following are examples of such programs that are funded through the U.S. Department of Education:
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University, federally charted in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher
education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing
individuals through American Sign Language and English. Deaf and hard-of-hearing undergraduate
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