Hassan-Requested GAO Report Highlights Challenges for College Students with Disabilities

WASHINGTON – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report today following a request by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to examine how colleges and universities are supporting students with disabilities to access higher education. The report highlights challenges facing college students with disabilities and makes recommendations on how to better support them.

According to the report, the percentage of college students with disabilities almost doubled between 2004 and 2020, increasing from 11 to 21 percent. This increase has been largely driven by the number of students with mental health conditions, such as depression and attention deficit disorder. Researchers also found that students with disabilities face barriers in accessing necessary accommodations and graduate from college at lower rates than those without disabilities. To better help students, colleges can work to increase awareness among college students with disabilities about their rights and how to advocate for themselves.

“Students in New Hampshire and across the country, including those with disabilities, should have access to supports that can help them thrive in college,” said Senator Hassan. “This GAO report shows that more must be done to support students with disabilities, and I urge the U.S. Department of Education to work with colleges to help more students succeed in college.”

“I called for this report to learn more about the experiences of higher education students with disabilities, the barriers they face, and how we can best ensure they are able to achieve their educational goals,” said Senator Casey. “While the report makes clear that more students with disabilities are attending higher education than ever before, significant barriers remain to obtaining a degree and earning what they deserve. We have an obligation to try to tear down those barriers and ensure that every American student can reach their full potential.”

“GAO highlighted how colleges and universities can and should provide more information to ease the transition from high school to college for students with disabilities,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This information empowers students to know what services they can receive to give them the greatest chance for success.”                                                                    

Senator Hassan has led efforts to support people with disabilities. Earlier this month, Senator Hassan’s provision to increase access to universal changing stations in airports was signed into law as part of the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization. In March, Senator Hassan helped secure funding to help families of children experiencing disabilities navigate the special education process and better access the resources available for children experiencing disabilities as part of the bipartisan government funding package. Last year, Senators Casey, Cassidy, Hassan, and colleagues introduced the bipartisan RISE Act, which would help colleges provide more support to college students with disabilities.

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