1000 Edgewood College Drive
Madison, WI 53711
| Program Contact | Michelle Slekar |
| cuttingedge@edgewood.edu | |
| Phone | 608-663-2332 |
| Website | https://www.edgewood.edu/cutting-edge |
THE CUTTING EDGE™ PROGRAM at Edgewood College was piloted in 2007, making us the first four-year college in Wisconsin to offer a fully inclusive college experience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since then, the program has continued to grow and offers individualized wrap-around services to support students in academics, student housing, social experiences, and practicums/internships. We currently support 20 students per academic year. Due to the success of the program and overwhelming support, we have now expanded and are offering two additional programs: the Pre-College and the Alumni Program. As part of Edgewood College’s Dominican tradition, students learn the values of justice, compassion, truth, community, and partnership. Through these values, students are given the opportunity to experience civic engagement both on campus and in the Madison community.
Every Fall and Spring semester the Cutting Edge Program holds an Open House
https://www.edgewood.edu/cutting-edge
| General | |
|---|---|
| Public or private: | Private |
| Type of school: | 4-year college or university |
| Is this program a federally funded TPSID program? | No |
| Students in this program: | Have graduated or exited from high school |
| Number of students: | 20 |
| Description of our summer transition program: | This program is for high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are 16 to 21 years old, and have a desire to go to college in the future. This program serves all students with disabilities, regardless of their levels of needed supports, and serves a range of abilities. This one-week summer program is designed to provide exposure through a fully inclusive week-long immersion on our campus. The program will allow high school students with various abilities to get acquainted with living on a college campus, college student expectations, and test their self-management skills. During this week-long program, students attend sessions, eat meals on campus, explore the community, stay in Residence Halls, and build connections with peers, staff, and faculty. This week-long program accepts up to 15 participants (per week) and is a “Parent-Free Zone.” |
| Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to apply to this program: | Apply 1 year prior to desired admission |
| Link to admissions process: | Admissions link |
| Requirements for admission to this program: |
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| Accepts out-of-state students: | Yes |
| Please indicate which disabilities students in this program have: |
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| Program length: | Varies from student to student |
| Acceptance, Retention, and Completion Rates | |
|---|---|
| Percent of students applying who are admitted: | 17% |
| Retention rate: | 100% |
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Cost of the program: |
Because the Cutting-Edge program offers a variety of services, there is no one-fixed cost. The students pay the same tuition rates as undergraduate tuition, but that will vary depending on the number of courses taken each semester. Students pay $5,000 to $12,000 a semester. The length of the program varies with each student, but students choose to stay 4 years and understand that it may take longer if they are working towards a degree. The students have a choice of resident halls on campus that will vary in price for room and board. The cost of room and board ranges from $3,000-$5,000 a semester. There are also off campus housing options for students as well. Students pay a resident-hall peer mentor fee for supports when residing on campus.
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| 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: |
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| Scholarships available: |
Cutting-Edge students can apply for a housing scholarship each year. |
| Academic | |
|---|---|
| Students take these types of "typical" courses (with students who don't have disabilities): |
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| More about course access: |
Students have access to all of the courses in the college timetable. |
| Students take courses that are only for students in this program: | Yes |
| Information on special classes: |
First-Year students: ED 90 Cutting-Edge Resource Seminar (3 cr), ED 91 Safety in the Community (2 cr), and ED92 Friends and Dating in a Diverse World (2 cr). After completion of the first year, students continue to take ED 90 Cutting-Edge Resource Seminar or IC112 College Success
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| Classroom/academic time spent only with other students in this program: | Less than 25% of the time |
| Credential(s) students earn upon completing the program: | Para-Professional Educator Certificate, 21st Century Employment Skills, Certificate of Completion, Bachelors Degree |
| The credential(s) is/are: |
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| Employment | |
|---|---|
| Percent of students in this program have paid work while attending the program: | 80% |
| Other career development activities are: |
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| Percent of students in this program that had paid work after exiting the program: | 80% |
| Housing | |
|---|---|
| Housing is provided to students: | Yes |
| Housing options available: |
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| Extracurricular | |
|---|---|
| Students participate in student organizations on campus: | Yes |
| Proportion of time spent only with other students in this program: | Less than 25% of the time |