Parent & Family Guide
Transitioning to college is a major change for students and their families. For students who have previously received disability accommodations, college also brings a different process for requesting and managing those accommodations.
Student Disability Services (SDS) is here to help students navigate that transition, understand their rights and responsibilities and receive reasonable accommodations that provide equal access to their Texas Tech education.
On this page:
- About Student Disability Services
- Classroom Accommodations
- Housing and Dining Accommodations
- Understanding IDEA, Section 504 and the ADA
- Does a 504 Plan Transfer to College?
- The Parent and Family Role
- Contact Student Disability Services
About Student Disability Services
Student Disability Services works to enhance each student's learning through programs and services for students with disabilities. SDS assists students in pursuing their academic, career and personal goals and provides reasonable accommodations based on each student's documented needs.
Accommodations are individualized. Students with the same disability may have different accommodations depending on their documented functional limitations and individual circumstances.
Learn more about Student Disability Services.
Classroom Accommodations
Will my student receive all the accommodations they had in high school?
Not necessarily. Accommodations that were appropriate in high school may not be appropriate or applicable in college.
High school services may include modifications to curriculum or assignments. At the postsecondary level, accommodations and academic adjustments are intended to provide equal access while maintaining the essential academic requirements of a course or program.
Accommodations do not guarantee success in a course. Students remain responsible for meeting academic requirements and their performance determines whether they succeed or fail in a course.
How does a student receive classroom accommodations?
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Register with Student Disability Services. Students who have been admitted to Texas Tech begin the accommodation process by registering with SDS using their eRaider credentials.
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Provide appropriate documentation. Students should submit documentation that supports or explains the requested accommodations. Documentation is generally uploaded through the secure AIM system.
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Connect with an SDS case manager. After the application and supporting documentation have been reviewed, the student's case manager will contact the student through their Texas Tech email to schedule an initial intake meeting.
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Complete the intake meeting. During the meeting, the student and case manager discuss the student's needs, documentation, functional limitations and appropriate accommodations.
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Request Letters of Accommodation. Once approved for accommodations, students are responsible for requesting their Letters of Accommodation (LOAs) through the AIM system each semester and communicating with instructors about the implementation of those accommodations.
Learn how to request and receive accommodations or review the SDS documentation guidelines.
Housing and Dining Accommodations
What if my student needs a housing or dining accommodation?
Student Disability Services works with University Student Housing and Hospitality Services to provide reasonable accommodations within campus housing and dining facilities.
Students requesting a housing or dining accommodation should work with their licensed clinical professional or health care provider to complete the Request for Housing and Dining Accommodations form.
The form should document the student's current condition, functional limitations and the relationship between those limitations and the requested accommodation. Completed documentation should be submitted to Student Disability Services.
Housing accommodations are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. Students should submit requests as early as possible.
What if my student has a medical condition that requires off-campus living?
Depending on the nature and functional limitations of a medically diagnosed condition, a student may be eligible for a medical hardship exemption when reasonable on-campus accommodations cannot be provided.
In many cases, a student's needs can be accommodated on campus through options such as a room or residence hall change, appropriate housing accommodations or dietary consultation.
All medical hardship requests to live off campus must be initiated through Student Disability Services. Students and their health care providers should complete the Medical Hardship Off-Campus Request Form.
Students should not sign an off-campus lease until an exemption has been formally approved by University Student Housing.
Learn more about off-campus eligibility and housing exemptions.
Understanding IDEA, Section 504 and the ADA
The laws and processes governing disability services change when a student moves from elementary or secondary school to college. Understanding these differences can help students and families prepare for the transition.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to eligible children and youth with disabilities. Under IDEA, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is used to provide eligible students with a free appropriate public education.
IDEA and its IEP requirements do not apply to postsecondary institutions such as colleges and universities.
Learn more about IDEA from the U.S. Department of Education.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits disability discrimination in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.
Section 504 applies in both K-12 and postsecondary education, but the responsibilities of schools and students differ. In college, institutions are required to provide appropriate academic adjustments and auxiliary aids and services when necessary to ensure qualified students with disabilities have equal access.
Unlike K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions are not required to identify students with disabilities or provide a free appropriate public education. Students seeking an academic adjustment must identify their need to the institution and follow its reasonable procedures for requesting accommodations.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Along with Section 504, the ADA helps ensure that qualified students with disabilities have equal access to postsecondary programs, services and activities.
Appropriate academic adjustments are determined individually. A college is not required to lower or substantially modify essential academic requirements or make changes that would fundamentally alter the nature of a program or service.
Does a 504 Plan Transfer to College?
No. A student's high school 504 Plan does not automatically transfer to college.
Section 504 continues to protect qualified students from disability discrimination in postsecondary education, but the process for receiving accommodations changes.
A high school 504 Plan or IEP may provide useful information about accommodations that have helped a student in the past, but it may not be sufficient documentation by itself for postsecondary accommodations. The student's needs and appropriate accommodations are evaluated in the context of college-level programs and requirements.
Students who want accommodations at Texas Tech must take the initiative to register with Student Disability Services, provide appropriate documentation and complete the SDS accommodation process.
- In K-12 education: Schools have additional responsibilities to identify and provide services to eligible students under laws including IDEA and Section 504.
- In college: Students must identify their need for accommodations and follow the institution's process. Accommodations are intended to provide equal access while students remain responsible for meeting essential academic requirements.
The Parent and Family Role
In high school, parents and guardians often play a direct role in managing a student's education and disability services. In college, students take primary responsibility for requesting accommodations, communicating with SDS and their instructors and managing their educational experience.
How is college different from high school?
In high school, parents are typically involved in meetings and processes related to a student's special education or accommodations. Parents may also advocate directly for their student.
In college, students advocate for themselves and register directly with Student Disability Services. SDS works primarily with the student as part of the accommodation process.
What about access to my student's records?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs access to education records. When a student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights provided by FERPA transfer from the parent to the student.
As a result, parents and family members generally should not expect unrestricted access to a college student's education records. A student may provide consent for information to be shared, and FERPA also permits disclosure without student consent in certain circumstances provided by law.
Read the U.S. Department of Education's FERPA guide for eligible students.
How parents and families can help
- Be a source of encouragement and emotional support.
- Encourage your student to communicate directly with SDS, instructors and other university offices.
- Help your student develop independence and self-advocacy skills.
- Encourage your student to read and respond to their Texas Tech email.
- Discuss financial responsibilities and planning when appropriate.
- Maintain open communication while respecting your student's independence and privacy.
- Learn about available university resources so you can point your student in the right direction when they need help.
- Celebrate your student's progress and accomplishments.
What parents and families should avoid
- Taking over the student's accommodation process or communicating with instructors in place of the student.
- Expecting the student to receive exactly the same accommodations they received in high school.
- Assuming a high school IEP or 504 Plan automatically becomes a college accommodation plan.
- Waiting until a problem occurs before encouraging the student to contact SDS or another appropriate campus resource.
We're Here to Support Your Student
Student Disability Services is available to help students understand their options, request appropriate accommodations and navigate their responsibilities at Texas Tech.
Student Disability Services
130 Weeks Hall
Texas Tech University
Phone: 806-742-2405
Email: sds@ttu.edu
Student Disability Services
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Address
130 Weeks Hall, MS 45007 | Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.2405 -
Fax
806.742.4837 -
Email
sds@ttu.edu