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Disabled Students, Native Americans, and Athletes

Disabled Students

Disabled students who meet the academic qualifications for a college should apply for admission and, if needed, financial aid. By law, a qualified student cannot be excluded from college solely because of a disability.

All public schools and colleges and many independent schools provide disabled student services. Benefits may include counseling, tutoring, readers, interpreters, note takers, special parking zones, and loan of special equipment. You may also request that a class be relocated to a more accessible place on campus.

Your student budget, as calculated by the colleges, should include all educational expenses necessary to accommodate your disability. Be sure to work with your financial aid offices if you apply, so they understand your particular circumstances.

For more information, contact the schools' disabled students' office, the
Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, or the national organizations serving your particular disability.

You may want to download Creating Options: A Resource on Financial Aid for Students (PDF, 298 KB), produced by the Heath Resource Center of the George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, or you may call (202) 973-0904 or (800) 544-3284, write The George Washington University, HEATH Resource Center, 2121 K Street, NW Suite 220, Washington, DC 20037, or e-mail askheath@heath.gwu.edu.

For information on benefits for service-disabled veterans, call the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at (800) 827-1000.

Native Americans

Native American students who can prove membership in a federally recognized tribe may receive education grants from the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).Information about scholarship or grant programs available to members of your tribe may be available in your tribe’s education office.

Athletes

Athletes considering a National Collegiate Athletic Association college should contact the NCAA for information on college recruiting rules, grade point average and testing requirements. Visit www.NCAA.org or write to the NCAA at 700 W. Washington Ave., PO Box 6222, Indianapolis, IN, 46206-6222, or call (317) 917-6222.