Access ETSU

East Tennessee State University

Access ETSU
P319 Warf-Pickel Hall | PO Box 70685
Johnson City, TN 37614

Program Contact	Dawn Rowe
Email	accessETSU@etsu.edu
Phone	423-439-7171
Website	https://www.etsu.edu/coe/access/
Facebook	link to program Facebook page

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East Tennessee State University - Clemmer College’s Access ETSU is a two-year, undergraduate, non-degree program for young adults with a documented intellectual or developmental disability who seek to enhance their academic, career development, and social skills and experiences alongside their same-age peers at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Access ETSU serves students with intellectual and/or other developmental disabilities ages 18-25 who have graduated from their high school and/or exited special education services. Beyond the academic coursework, the broader curriculum for students in the Access ETSU program also includes experiences designed to support their goals for integrated social experiences, employment skills, and adult living opportunities and experiences.

Program information submitted: March 3, 2021

General
Public or private:	Public
Type of school:	4-year college or university
Is this program a federally funded TPSID program?	Yes
Students in this program:	Have graduated or exited from high school
Number of students:	2

Requirements
Program serves students who have left high school?	Yes, all of our students have left high school
Regular H.S. diploma required?	No, an IEP/non-standard diploma/certificate of attendance is accepted
Deadline to apply to this program:	Rolling admission
Link to admissions process:	Admissions link
Criteria for admission	Age range: 18-28 Students must have an intellectual disability and a personal desire to continue their education at the university level and want to expand their employment prospects
Accepts out-of-state students?:	Yes
Please indicate which disabilities students in this program have:	Intellectual disability Autism Any intellectual or developmental disabilities
Program length:	2 years

Acceptance, Retention, and Completion Rates
Acceptance rate for the most recent fall term	33.00%
Retention rate for first year students from the previous academic year to the current one	100.00%
Notes on acceptance and attendance:	We had capacity to take on one more student in Fall 2020 and we had three applicants.

Cost
Average student tuition and fees for the current school year	$10000.00
Program fees:	$0.00
Is this program able to provide federal financial aid as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)?	Yes
Students pay for the program in the following ways:	Private pay (student and family) Vocational Rehabilitation Funds Scholarships Adult intellectual/developmental disability state agency funds Federal Financial Aid Grant Funding Medicaid Waiver or Day Habilitation funds Vocational Rehabilitation (VR): funding for active Vocational Rehabilitation clients who receive Transitional Learning Services are currently awarded $3,000 per semester for 4 semesters. http://tennessee.gov/humanserv/rehab/vrs.html. INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES- an option for ECF (Employment and Community First Choices) recipient funds for the reimbursement of college expenses (i.e. tuition, books, transportation), up to $500 per year. The Managed Care Organization is the responsible party to authorize a service for a member based on their needs and assessment. https://www.tn.gov/didd/employment-and-community-first-choices.html 529 College Savings Plans: For more information visit: Families can set up an account for their child with I/DD or utilize funds saved for another child https://www.tnstars.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=529%20college%20savings%20plan&utm_campaign=General PRIVATE Loan options- Students can explore other private loan options (e.g., Sallie Mae: https://www.salliemae.com/student-loans/parent-loan/
Scholarships available:	Haley Elise Van Pelt Scholarship: scholarship has been established to benefit students of any age seeking post-secondary education who have a permanent intellectual or developmental disability and/or functional impairment: http://www.etf.org/scholarships Tennessee Higher Education Commission: TN Step-Up Scholarship is a program designed to assist students with intellectual disabilities who have completed high school and enroll in an individualized program of study of up to four (4) years at an eligible postsecondary institution https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/money-for-college/state-of-tennessee-prog... PRIVATE and NONPROFIT SCHOLARSHIPS- Students and families should explore scholarship opportunities through their communities, local agencies, and diagnosis-related organizations. Past students have received $1,000 and $2,000 scholarships from their church families, The Arc, Ruby’s Rainbow, Down Syndrome Associations, Williams Syndrome Association and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Academic
Students take these types of "typical" courses (with students who don't have disabilities):	Typical college courses for credit Typical college courses for audit
More about course access:	Any courses available in the ETSU undergraduate course catalog are available to Access ETSU students. https://catalog.etsu.edu/
Students take courses that are only for students in this program:
Are students in this program able to access support services through your IHE disability services office?	Yes
Percentage of academic time spent only with other students in this program:	None of the time
Credential(s) students earn upon completing the program:	Access ETSU Program Certificate
Is the credential IHE-approved?	Awarded by program, not officially recognized by the IHE

Employment
Percent of students in this program have paid work while attending the program:	100%
Other career development activities are:	Internships Volunteer work Community Service Work Study
We offer the following specialized credentials:	Person-centered process, based around student interest
Does this program have a working partnership with VR to provide funding, supports and/or services to students in the program?	Yes

Housing
Housing is provided to students:	No

Extracurricular
Students participate in student organizations on campus:	Yes
Proportion of social time spent only with other students in this program:	None of the time
Students have participated in these social/extracurricular activities and organizations:	Faith-based organizations, athletics and recreation, clubs, sporting events, movie nights, goat yoga, succulent planting, pumpkin carving, swimming, concerts, camping, outdoor recreation and whatever they want to do that the university has to offer.