Need Learning Support? Here’s What You Need to Know When You Apply to College

If you have a student who has received learning support in K-12 and plans to attend college, you should know that colleges also offer accommodations, but they differ quite a bit. We’ll break down the differences between K-12 and post-secondary learning support and suggest what to look for during your college search.

Key differences between K-12 and college learning support

In K-12, teachers take primary responsibility for adapting materials and supporting students’ learning needs. Teachers help students learn and process information — and remind students about incomplete work. In some cases, students receive modified assignments or do individual check-ins with teachers about their assignments. Teachers also structure students’ time, provide assistance in that support, update parents, and advocate for the student.

In college, however, the responsibility for learning shifts significantly to students. While experts in their fields, college instructors may not be specifically trained in education or learning differences. Instructors are responsible for being accessible to help students during office hours, but they expect students to manage their own time, take notes, synthesize material, and communicate their needs.

If students need an assignment extension or are struggling with something, they have to attend office hours. The professors, assistants, and other support staff work with students from the sidelines, and it’s up to the students to keep everyone in the loop and advocate for themselves.

The legal framework differs between K-12 and higher education. K-12 operates under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), where “student plus services equals success.” Higher education follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), where “student plus accommodation equals success.” College accommodations aim to provide equal access rather than guarantee success.

Accommodations

Universities provide academic and reasonable accommodations — not academic modifications or fundamental alterations. For example, extended time might be appropriate, but unlimited time could fundamentally alter an assignment’s purpose. Other examples could include:

• Extended test time for students with difficulty concentrating, slow reading rates, or reading comprehension challenges.
• Audio formats for students with low vision, poor visual acuity, or reading comprehension deficits.
• Separate or reduced distraction testing spaces for students easily distracted by external or internal stimuli, experiencing anxiety in large groups, or managing conditions like Type 1 diabetes that require a quiet space to access medications.
• A scribe for students with illegible handwriting or poor hand dexterity. 
• Permission to audio record lectures for students with difficulty concentrating in class, those experiencing anxiety, or those managing conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that may necessitate frequent absences.

Accommodations can address a wide range of limitations and disability impacts, and they aren’t limited to academics. Housing and dining accommodations enhance the student experience and help ensure a student’s well-being.

For example, students with conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, or autism may benefit from a single-room assignment for a quieter, less socially demanding environment. A student with mobility limitations needs an accessible shower with a seat or grab bar. Other students with conditions like Crohn’s might need a semi-private or private bathroom. Students with severe dietary restrictions or allergies may need kitchen access to prepare their meals. Other dining accommodations can include meal plan exemptions or reductions. 

Disclosing your disability

You don’t need to disclose your specific diagnosis when applying to college. You can choose to self-identify or not. Unless you need an accommodation for the application itself, you can wait until after acceptance to disclose. If you write about your disability in your application essay, focus on your personal growth and learning experiences rather than just your challenges.

Your IEP and 504 plans don’t automatically transfer to the college level. Your self-identification and the documentation you provide — a previous IEP, a psychoeducational evaluation, a letter from your healthcare provider, or other relevant documents — determine your accommodations. Other information the college will ask for includes your diagnosis, specific limitations resulting from your disability, and the impact of those limitations on your academic performance. For conditions like migraines or mental health issues, you’ll need to provide information about symptoms' frequency, severity, and duration.

When you explore college options, consider whether the disability office takes a compliance-based or social justice approach, how the college organizes its services campuswide, and what additional services are available. Visit the campus and meet with disability staff to see if it’s a good fit. The universal design movement has motivated many universities to create environments that serve all their students better, with disability diversity enriching campus communities.

Services offered by the Disability Resource Office

The Disability Resource Office (DRO) at your prospective campus will be just one piece of the puzzle. While the DRO can assess your accommodation requests and put them in place, you won’t go there for tutoring, its staff won’t communicate with your professors on your behalf, and it won’t serve as your healthcare provider.

Campuses have other offices to meet your specific needs, including learning or tutoring centers, office hours with professors, and health centers. Many colleges provide individual and group therapy services and have an on-campus pharmacy for medication management. The availability of these services varies depending on the size of the institution.

Other campus resources

Given the variety of services available on any given campus, explore the full range of resources beyond the DRO. Every university offers different services, and the campus size often determines the availability and depth of those services.

Many universities, for example, have learning or tutoring centers staffed with professionals trained to support students with various learning differences, such as ADHD, learning disabilities, or autism. These professionals work with students on specific learning strategies, helping them develop effective study habits, time management skills, and approaches to academic work.

In addition to learning centers, many campuses have specialized writing centers where students can receive individual assistance with writing assignments and subject-specific tutoring (for example, dedicated help for math, physics, or foreign languages). Some campuses also offer academic coaching, which can help students build organizational skills, stay on track with deadlines, and manage their coursework more effectively.

In addition to academic support, consider your university’s health and wellness resources. Campus health centers often offer therapy and group therapy sessions, which can be an excellent way for students to connect with others facing similar challenges. Larger campuses may also have various mental health services and peer support groups that foster community and emotional resilience.

Assistive Technology and Accessibility Resources

Many universities provide a range of tools (like Read&Write, a program that helps students read and comprehend digital content like PDFs or webpages) designed to enhance accessibility for students requiring assistive technology. Programs like these can be invaluable for students with reading difficulties or other challenges that make traditional reading methods less effective.

Also more common these days? Audiobooks or digital versions of textbooks available through the student store or the library. Students with visual impairments or other challenges related to traditional text-based learning particularly benefit from these options.

In larger institutions, assistive technology might extend to voice recognition software, captioning services, or tools designed to improve note-taking. If you require any of these tools, research their availability on your chosen campuses.

Accessibility for Students with Mobility Challenges

Students with disabilities such as POTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), or other chronic conditions that affect their mobility or ability to navigate campus should assess the campus layout and transportation options. Some campuses offer shuttles, wheelchair-accessible routes, or golf cart transportation to help students with difficulty walking long distances.  

Final thoughts

When researching a college, consider the characteristics of its disability support services and approach to student support. 

• Does the college prioritize compliance or strive for a more holistic approach? Consider how the campus integrates disability services. 
• Are they centralized in one office, or are services like dining, housing, and parking accommodations managed separately? 
• Do you prefer a centralized system or more autonomy in accessing individual services?

Just as you consider factors like location, size, and academic programs during your college search, you should also carefully consider the disability support services each institution offers. This thorough investigation will help you pick the perfect college.

Want more tips and insights? Check out our full Guide to College Admissions here.