Any student preparing for college must have a plan to pay for college and students with intellectual disability (ID) are likely to use many of the same resources as other college students to pay for college. There are some resources specific to individuals with disabilities to consider, as well. Students are using numerous approaches to pay for college, often braiding together several different funding sources to cover the costs. This brief reviews some information about a variety of possible funding sources that students and their families can consider as they determine what will work for their specific situations:

• Federal financial aid
• Scholarships
• Medicaid waiver funds
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Veterans Affairs (VA) Education Benefits/GI Bill
• Loans
• Social security
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Family funds
• Student contributions

This resource is available in English and Spanish. Click here to view the Spanish language listing for this resource.