Student Financial Aid for the Disabled Links

Interesting stuff. Some of this I knew, some of this I didn't.

Like, I didn't know that although schools aren't allowed to count lower than full-time class loads as full for disabled students who may not be able to realistically handle a full load, they are SUPPOSED (if I read right) to make exceptions to the Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines if the student isn't meeting them due to illness. And here I thought they were just being nice because I wrote a really good appeal letter, lol.

Going to school when you're disabled can be really hard. It takes a lot of juggling, organizing, prioritizing, planning, and just plain staying on top of your game.
Even with help from Student Disabled Services.
Sometimes it still doesn't seem like enough.
One of the keys, as with staying employed if you can manage it, is open communication, especially with your professors.
(I got some good tips about this in Laurie Edwards' book about chronic illness in your 20s and 30s which is on my sidebar under the "Books for Coping" section.)
That was a tough one for me.
I was having a tough time admitting to myself I was disabled, and that it really wasn't my fault. It was one thing writing that appeal for the financial aid, or even going to the Student Disabled Services to ask for front of the line passes for the Financial Aid office. (Ugh, and using them. Talk about dirty looks and defensiveness.
)
But actually telling my professors? It's one thing to have an institution feel sorry for you, but an actual person who you'd planned on having a pretty formal relationship with and whom you perhaps respect and admire?
Since then, I've begun to get over that. Obviously I am disabled, or I wouldn't be here writing this blog.

Plus, I've had enough experiences where I have opened up to people, and had things go a lot better that I could have possibly imagined.
Most people really are good at heart, believe it or not.
And if they see potential they will help you. I haven't been up to going back to school since I realized JUST how much you can do for yourself as far as school is concerned all this, but I feel much better armed to deal with things more efficiently now.

So here are the links:

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/disabled.phtml

http://www.finaid.org/educators/pj/disability.phtml

*Don't forget to get all you can out of your school's Disabled Student Services! (Different names at different schools, but they all have one.) Explain to them ALL the details of your illness, worst case scenarios, don't leave out Cognitive Dysfunction because it's not widely recognized, especially if it gives you a hard time. Examples of things I got help with or got offered are:

Carbon paper to get copies of people's notes when my hands hurt too much to write or keep up (though I only ever used it when my hand were bandaged up, was just too embarrassed by the whole "but you don't look sick" deal, silly I know but...
Extra test time, a scribe/proctor for taking an exam when I had a pinched nerve in my hand, free training & use of Speech Recognition Software & their Special Resources Lab, better parking (most places you just need a handicapped sticker, & you may not even have to pay for parking)front of the line passes for the infinite line at the Financial Aid office (my back hurts really badly after standing in one place for over 5 minutes, and my blood pressure drops, making me feel pretty ill) a special request to allow me to record lectures, and I think they had an electronic word processor or laptop I could have used to type notes (easier than writing, it's the gripping the pen and writing fast that kills me)but I would've had to return it right after, and the class was in the evening, when the place was closed, so no go.


And above all communicate with your professors. (The Special Services office usually only goes so far.)
Example: At a meeting with my Spanish Professor about my final grade last year, I found out I was just 2 points (due to attendance) short of an A...and when I told her I had some health problems and had proof that I'd been at the ER, she gave me those two points back!)