RISE Act Mandates Colleges Accept Old IEPs to Streamline Disability Accommodations

The Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower Act—the RISE Act—is focused on making the transition to college smoother for students with disabilities. Essentially, this legislation overhauls how colleges and universities handle the documentation needed for students to get academic accommodations, and it backs up that effort with new funding and data reporting requirements. The main thrust is simple: stop making students jump through the same hoops they already cleared in high school.

The End of the Documentation Treadmill

For years, one of the biggest headaches for students with disabilities entering college was the documentation requirement. Even if a student had a robust Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan in high school, many colleges would demand new, expensive evaluations upon enrollment. Section 3 of the RISE Act puts a stop to that. It mandates that colleges receiving federal funds must now accept existing documentation, such as non-current IEPs, Section 504 plans, or service records from private schools, as proof of disability.

Think of it this way: if your kid had a documented need for extra time on tests in high school, the college can no longer automatically require you to pay a few thousand dollars for a brand-new psychological evaluation just to confirm the obvious. The bill requires schools to accept these prior plans, which means less cost and less administrative hassle for families. However, there’s a small, fair-sounding caveat: if a student was previously found ineligible for services under an old IEP (say, back in middle school), the college can still ask for more recent proof. For the vast majority of students who have been consistently receiving services, though, this change is a massive win.

Transparency and Technical Support

Beyond accepting the paperwork, the RISE Act demands transparency. Section 3 also requires that colleges make their entire process for determining accommodations “totally transparent and easy to understand.” This means the rules must be clearly laid out during student orientation and must be easily accessible on the college’s public website. No more hunting through obscure pages or getting conflicting information from different departments; the policy needs to be front and center.

To back up these institutional changes, Section 4 authorizes Congress to appropriate up to $10 million for the National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities. This is dedicated funding aimed at helping the Center provide guidance and resources, making sure colleges and students have the technical support they need to navigate these new rules effectively.

Putting Data to Work

Finally, Section 5 introduces new data reporting requirements for colleges. Institutions will now have to report aggregate, anonymized data to the federal government’s IPEDS system about their undergraduate students registered with disability services. This includes the total number of students with disabilities, how many are using accommodations, and the total certificates or degrees earned by this group. This is important because right now, reliable national data on the college success rates of students with disabilities is often spotty. This new requirement means we’ll finally get a clearer picture of how well colleges are actually serving this population, allowing policymakers to spot gaps and target resources better. The law is careful to note that schools must protect student privacy, ensuring no individual student can be identified through the reported numbers.

In short, the RISE Act is a straightforward piece of legislation that cuts administrative red tape for students, mandates clearer communication from colleges, and provides the funding and data necessary to improve disability services in higher education. It’s about ensuring that a student’s disability status doesn't derail their college career before it even starts.