The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan RISE Act this week — legislation that would require colleges to accept IEP and 504 plans from high school as proof of a disability. If the House passes it and the president signs it, students could stop having to pay for new neuropsychological testing just to get the same accommodations they had before.

One of the most frustrating parts of going to college with a disability has nothing to do with coursework. It's the paperwork. Students who had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan through all of high school often arrive at college and find out they have to start over: new evaluations, new documentation, sometimes thousands of dollars out of pocket to prove something they already proved.

The RISE Act, which passed the Senate this week, is designed to end that.

What the RISE Act Does

The bill's full name is the Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower Act. It was sponsored by Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) — a rare bipartisan team on education legislation.

The core change is straightforward: colleges would be required to accept documentation from an IEP, a 504 plan, or a similar record used at any point during high school as proof of a disability. The student would not need to get new testing done just to access accommodations.

The bill also requires universities to collect and report data about undergraduate students receiving disability services — something that currently varies wildly from one campus to the next. And it includes funding for technical assistance to help institutions improve how they serve students with disabilities.

Unanimous

Why This Has Been a Years-Long Fight

Advocates have pushed for this change since at least 2021, when Cassidy's office first introduced a version of the bill. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced the RISE Act unanimously on July 30, 2026, before the full Senate vote this week.

The problem it addresses is real. Under current law, the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protect students with disabilities at college — but colleges set their own standards for what documentation they'll accept. Many require recent evaluations (often within three to five years), which can mean expensive retesting even for students with stable, lifelong conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, or anxiety disorders. If your diagnosis was at age 10, some schools won't honor that documentation at age 18.

The result is a gap — students who had full support in high school either pay for new testing, go without accommodations, or don't disclose their disability at all.

If you're currently applying to college with a disability, don't wait for the RISE Act to become law. Gather your IEP or 504 documentation now and read the disability services office requirements at every school on your list during your college visit. Schools vary significantly in what they accept and how easy the process is — this should be part of your college evaluation, not an afterthought.

What Happens Next

The Senate has passed the bill, but it still needs to clear the House. A House companion bill is sponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Erin Houchin (R-Ind.). House leaders have said they are confident about its prospects, but no floor vote has been scheduled yet.

If it passes the House and is signed into law, schools would then need time to update their policies. The timeline for when students would actually see changes on the ground is not yet clear.

This means: the law does not apply yet. Students with disabilities applying for the 2027-28 academic year should still expect to meet their schools' current documentation requirements when requesting accommodations through the disability services office.

What This Means for Families Doing College Planning Now

For families with a student who has an IEP or 504 plan, the RISE Act changes the conversation about what to look for in a college. Here's how to think about it:

Before the bill becomes law:

  • Ask every college on your list what documentation their disability services office requires
  • Request a meeting with the disability services office during campus visits
  • Review your student's current IEP or 504 to make sure it's up to date
  • Ask your student's high school case manager for a formal transition summary

If the bill passes:

  • Keep all IEP and 504 documentation — you'll be able to present it directly to your college
  • The college still decides what accommodations are appropriate; this bill is about documentation, not guaranteeing any specific accommodation
  • The data-reporting requirement means you'll eventually be able to compare how well colleges serve students with disabilities

For a full look at how accommodations work at the college level, see our guide on college accommodations for learning disabilities.

The Bigger Picture

The RISE Act is part of a broader set of legislative efforts to close the support gap between high school and college. A separate bill from Sen. Chris Van Hollen would allow students with disabilities who take reduced course loads as an approved accommodation to still qualify for full Pell Grant, SEOG, and TEACH Grant amounts — removing another financial barrier.

Together, these bills reflect growing recognition that the transition from high school to college is where many students with disabilities fall through the cracks. The documentation barrier isn't just bureaucratic friction — it has real costs, and it falls disproportionately on students who can least afford to pay for retesting.

If you're in the middle of college planning and managing a disability diagnosis, it's also worth reviewing how financial aid appeals work for special circumstances — because disability-related costs and reduced course loads can both affect your financial aid package.

Next Steps

  1. Save your documentation. Keep your IEP, 504 plan, and any evaluation reports somewhere accessible.
  2. Research disability services early. Don't wait until you're accepted — ask during the application process.
  3. Talk to your high school counselor. Request a formal transition summary before you graduate.
  4. Monitor the bill. The House companion still needs to pass. Check Congress.gov for RISE Act updates.
  5. If you're in college now, visit your campus mental health and support resources and ask the disability services office what documentation they currently require.

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Footnotes

  1. Banks, J. (2026, November). Sen. Banks' Bipartisan RISE Act Passes Senate. United States Senate. https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-banks-bipartisan-rise-act-passes-senate/ ↩

  2. Disability Scoop. (2026, November 13). Transition From Special Ed To College May Soon Get Easier. Disability Scoop. https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/11/13/transition-from-special-ed-to-college-may-soon-get-easier/32269/ ↩