College Search

College for Life

College for Life
John Wood Community College
College for Life
1301 S. 48th St.
Quincy, IL 62305
Program Contact Michele Westmaas
Program Contact Email cfl@jwcc.edu
Phone 217-641-4340
Website Program website
Facebook link to program Facebook page

College for Life is a 3-year non-credit college experience for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Students have opportunities to improve academic, social, and workplace skills to prepare for their best future.

The CFL Certificate Program includes non-credit courses to prepare for a paying job, adult independence, and being part of your community. Students who complete all the required courses may graduate with a College for Life Certificate.

Program information submitted: January 25, 2023

General
Public or private: Public
Type of school: 2-year community college or junior college
Is this program a federally funded TPSID program? No
Number of students: 18
Requirements
Program serves students who have left high school? Some of our students have left high school
Deadline to apply to this program: n/a
Criteria for admission
  • Student must be 18 or older
Accepts out-of-state students? Yes
Please indicate which disabilities students in this program have:
  • Intellectual disability
  • Autism
  • Students who had an IEP in school and does not feel ready for credit-bearing college courses may be considered for CFL
Planned program length 3 years
Acceptance, Retention, and Completion Rates
Acceptance rate for the most recent fall term: 90.00%
Retention rate for first year students from the previous academic year to the current one: 71.00%
Notes on acceptance and attendance: Students do not return due to personal reasons or because they choose to continue taking credit-bearing college courses instead of CFL.
Cost
Average student tuition and fees for the current school year: $1250.00
Average out-of-state tuition, current year: $1250.00
Room and board: $0.00
Program fees: $0.00
Is this program able to provide federal financial aid as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)? We are not a CTP, and have no plans to become one.
Students pay for the program in the following ways:
  • Private pay (student and family)
  • Scholarships
  • Local School District funds
  • Grant Funding
Scholarships available: CFL New Student Scholarship • New certificate-seeking students enrolled in a minimum of 3 courses are eligible. • Applications will be based on financial need. • Approved scholarships will cover tuition for three courses: o FYE and Self-Advocacy 1 paid for Fall 2022 o Self-Advocacy 2 paid for Spring 2023 Tracy Family Foundation Next Generation Scholarship • Brown County students and students from other counties may be eligible. • Students may be new or returning. • Amount awarded will be based on the number of qualified applicants selected. Jeff Burgess College for Life Scholarship • This endowed award was created by family and friends of Jeff Burgess in his memory to provide an annual $500 scholarship to a College for Life student, as well as to provide direct support to the CFL Program. • Jeff had a talent for giving practical and wise advice, and he fit the description of life coach very well. The recipient of this award should have completed first-year core classes and be pursuing the CFL Certificate.
Academic
Students enrolled in this program take the following types of inclusive courses (with students who don't have disabilities):
  • Typical college courses for credit
  • Typical Continuing Education courses
More about course access: The CFL Certificate Program includes required CFL non-credit courses as well as electives. Electives can include CFL non-credit courses, typical credit-bearing college courses, Continuing Education courses, or individual academic tutoring.
Students take courses that are only for students in this program: Yes
Information on special classes: The CFL Certificate Program required courses include Self-Advocacy 1-3, Positive Communication, Healthy Relationships, Future Planning, Personal Finance, and Workforce Preparation 1-2. These non-credit courses are designed for CFL students, addressing topics important to successful adult living as a person with disabilities.
Percentage of academic time spent in inclusive courses (with students who don't have disabilities): 1-24%
Do all students in this program enroll in at least one inclusive college/university course for credit or audit each semester? No
Credential(s) students earn upon completing the program: College for Life Certificcate
Is the credential approved by the college/university? Awarded by program, not officially recognized by the IHE
Other than the credential listed above, can students earn any other credentials that are available to all students? Students may take typical college courses to earn any typical credential of the college
Students in the program have access to the following campus-wide services:
  • Career services
  • Health services
  • Access to a transcript via the registrar
  • Academic advising services (not program staff)
Employment
Percent of students in this program have paid work while attending the program: 40%
Other career development activities are:
  • None
Percent of students in this program that had paid work after exiting the program: 0%
Additional information about career development and work experience: We partner with VR and disability service provider agencies to refer students for work-related services
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: No
Percentage of social time spent in inclusive activities (open to all students on campus): 100%
Students may participate in the following extra-curricular activities
  • Registered student organizations
  • Student government
  • Campus events
Students participate in these campus-wide events:
  • College/University's Student orientation
  • College/University's Family orientation
  • College/University's Graduation