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Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services

Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services

Enhancing Supports and Services for Students With Disabilities for Postsecondary Success (SWDPS)

Purpose

What is it? 

Enhancing Supports and Services for Students With Disabilities for Postsecondary Success (SWDPS) is a grant program administered by the New York State Education Department (SED) in collaboration with New York’s Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), both public and private. In the 2022-23 NYS budget, the appropriation for SWDPS was $2,000,000. 
 
The purpose of this grant is to enhance supports and services for students with disabilities, who are enrolled in New York State degree-granting colleges and universities. The grant was established in 2021 thanks to a proposal developed in collaboration with the Board of Regents’ Advisory Council on Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities and New York’s higher education sectors – the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY), the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), and the Association of Proprietary Colleges (APC). 

Eligibility and Application Process

Eligibility and Application Process

How and when should institutions apply for SWDPS grant funding?

SWDPS is an open/non-competitive grant. The fiscal period for this grant is typically September 1 – August 31.  

SED will invite institutions to apply each year -– usually in the late spring -- based on the roster of IHEs that have reported having enrolled students with disabilities to NYSED’s Information and Reporting Services (IRS). 

Higher Education Data Collection Forms and Instructions  

When will the 2023-24 Application for Funding be released? 

Once the State budget has been enacted in April 2023 (tentatively) and we know exactly how much funding is available for this program, we will post the 2023-24 SWDPS Application for Funding on this web page.  

As in previous years, the application will include important deadlines and a request for a mandatory Notice of Intent to Apply (“NOI”). 

IHEs who reported enrollment of students with disabilities to NYSED for 2021-22 and who send us their NOI by the deadline will be eligible to apply for SWDPS funding. 

How much can colleges expect to receive in SWDPS grant funding in 2023-24?  
 
NYSED has requested an increase to the annual appropriation for the SWDPS program. If the NYS budget appropriation for the SWDPS grant remains at $2 million, IHEs can estimate their tentative award amount by multiplying their 2021-22 SWD enrollment numbers (as submitted to NYSED) by $27.  

The per-pupil amount of $27 will increase if the appropriation increases. 

How can SWDPS grant funding be used?  

SWDPS funds must be used for one or more of these four purposes:  

  • To supplement existing supports and accommodations of Students With Disabilities (SWDs) in order to expand such supports and services provided at SUNY, CUNY and other degree-granting Private and Independent IHEs; 
  • To support college prep programs to assist incoming SWDs in transitioning to college and prepare them to navigate the campus facilities and systems; 
  • To provide full- and part-time faculty and staff at SUNY, CUNY and other Private and Independent degree granting IHEs with disability training; and/or 
  • To improve the identification process of SWDs and enhance data collection capabilities at SUNY, CUNY and other Private and Independent degree granting IHEs. 

 

More Info and FAQs

More Info and FAQs

How have students and institutions benefitted from this grant?  
 
A few anecdotes from IHEs who received SWDPS grant funding in 2021-22 are below: 

“Our Circle is a group designed for students who may struggle with socialization and making friends, due to a disability or other factors. During Our Circle, students can get together to play board games, enjoy snacks, and converse. …Our hope is that students in the group get to know each other and become friends inside and outside of the classroom. The ultimate goal of Our Circle is to provide socialization and a sense of belonging to students.” 

“When students who have an accommodation [request] to have a test read to them…[the director of Accessibility Services] personally reads each exam to the student and record[s] their responses. This is very time consuming and does not allow the student the independence that other students enjoy. With access to technology… the students with disabilities can be more independent while having their accommodation needs met by utilizing text-to-speech or speech-to-text functions…. The goal in seeking this funding is to provide technology for students with disabilities that will not only ensure equal access, but will also provide them with an improved sense of independence and autonomy.” 

“With the ability to purchase additional assistive technology, the Disability Resources Office was a subject at the latest board of trustee meeting, which sparked more disability awareness and support for services.” 

“One of our students shared that with the smart pen, she was more independent and did not need to rely on a peer note-taker.” 

“Our travel has been frozen on campus for a few years. The opportunity for staff to gain valuable professional development has been instrumental in staving off staff burnout. They returned from the professional development experiences renewed and excited about their prospects in this field.” 

“It is wonderful to see the smiles on the students’ faces when you show them the [assistive technology] device. Their ability to understand the information during a meeting or social event is most important for success, interaction, and belonging.”

How can I learn more?  

The team in the Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success will be happy to reply to any questions. Email our SWDPS team at swdps@nysed.gov. 

Webinar Materials

Webinar Materials

February 2023 - CICU & NYSED webinar recording

Contact Information

New York State Education Department
Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success
Enhancing Supports and Services for Students With Disabilities for Postsecondary Success 
89 Washington Avenue, EBA 960
Albany, New York 12234
(518) 474-3719
swdps@nysed.gov