Recommendations to New York State for strategies to increase access
8. Funding and Financial Mechanisms to Enhance the Educational Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (continued)
- The Governor and Legislature work together to initiate a new funding program that will encourage colleges and universities across the state to make the extra effort to recognize the needs of individuals with disabilities on their campuses. Specifically, the Task Force recommends that a $15 million "Fund for the Improvement of Disability Services" be created to offer three different types of grants. The first $5 million is for unmatched "Enhancement Grants" to provide base funding for capacity building of up to $50,000 per institution, determined by the size of the institution and the number of students with disabilities served. The second $5 million is for matching "Challenge Grants" of up to $50,000 per institution (the amount may be lower based on the number of institutions that apply) to support programmatic activities. The third $5 million is for unmatched "Incentive Grants" of up to $50,000 per institution for campuses able to increase the number of students with disabilities. Each institution develops a target goal of percentage of increase based on its current number of students with disabilities. The funds are available to every SUNY, CUNY, independent sector and degree-granting proprietary institution in New York State. The grants are flexible enough to allow individual campuses to make funding decisions in consultation with consumers of disability services, and directors/coordinators of disability services. The fund, administered by the New York State Education Department, is authorized for at least three years, increasing to $30 million in the second and third years.