H.R. 10203 — Improving Access to Higher Education Act

This section authorizes competitive grants to institutions of higher education for five-year periods to develop and implement training on universal design for learning, appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities, secondary-to-postsecondary transition practices, accessible distance education, and career pathway guidance including internships and self-advocacy skills. It requires at least five grants focused on professional development and technical assistance, mandatory evaluation and dissemination of results, equitable geographic and institutional distribution of awards, and reports to Congress within one year and five years of the first award.

This section requires each institution of higher education to establish an office of accessibility that informs students about services and accommodations (including for internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning), provides information on rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, accepts specified forms of disability documentation, adopts transparent eligibility processes, disseminates information in accessible formats, and provides mental health accommodations. It also authorizes the Secretary to award 5-year competitive grants to institutions to develop universal design for learning frameworks for instruction and distance education.

This section establishes an independent commission appointed by the Speaker of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Secretary of Education to develop guidelines ensuring students with disabilities receive equal educational benefits from postsecondary electronic instructional materials and related technologies. The commission must issue the guidelines within 18 months, subject to a possible 6-month extension, after reviewing existing accessibility standards and receiving administrative support from the Department of Education.

This section revises the purpose of the subpart to support inclusive higher education programs that promote the transition of students with intellectual disabilities into postsecondary education and the earning of a degree, certificate, or recognized credential. It authorizes annual competitive grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of three or more institutions to create or expand such programs, with per-grant limits of $300,000 for a single institution and $500,000 for a consortium, 5-year grant terms, equitable geographic and institutional-type distribution requirements, housing integration mandates, and use-of-funds rules that require academic and social inclusion supports, person-centered planning, integrated work experiences, sustainability plans, and credential awards.

This section replaces the National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities with a National Technical Assistance Center. The Center provides information and technical assistance to students with disabilities and their families on transition planning, postsecondary supports, and mentoring; assists institutions of higher education with faculty training, retention practices, and accommodations; maintains a public database of disability support services; and issues reports on postsecondary success for students with disabilities not later than three years after establishment and every two years thereafter. Administration occurs in consultation with the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

This section revises definitions in section 760 of the Higher Education Act for comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities. It requires preparation for competitive integrated employment (from gainful employment), permits recognized postsecondary credentials, adds flexibility for work-based components across semesters, and expands student eligibility to include those with psycho-educational evaluations or agency records documenting an intellectual disability. It also adds definitions for disability, institution of higher education, office of accessibility, recognized postsecondary credential, and universal design for learning.

This section requires institutions participating in federal student aid programs to submit data on students with disabilities to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, including the total number enrolled, the number receiving accommodations, the percentage of all undergraduates who are students with disabilities, and the number of undergraduate certificates or degrees awarded to such students. Institutions are exempt if submission would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student.