Information for Prospective and Incoming Students
The Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) offers a warm welcome to students students in the early stages of considering colleges, transferring, or those offered admission.
The University of Virginia offers an array of individualized accommodations and services to qualified students with disabilities. The SDAC office regularly acts as a liaison between students with disabilities and their instructors, and other University offices, which may include Housing & Residence Life, Parking & Transportation, and Dining Services.
This page includes important information regarding the timeline process, the difference between having accommodations in K-12 versus higher education, and other resources that may be helpful during the college transition and for prospective students.
Please contact SDAC at [email protected] or call 434-243-5180 with any questions or to learn more.
Transition Steps
1. Review Documentation Guidelines: Review the SDAC Documentation Guidelines to ensure students submit all necessary documentation. Please note that an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan often does not provide enough information to meet the documentation requirements.
2. Apply for Services and Upload Documentation: Submit an SDAC Application once students have been accepted to UVA and receive a UVA student computing ID. Students can set up their computing ID from the Student IT Checklist through Orientation.
3. SDAC Reviews Application and Documentation: Reviews will typically begin after the academic semester has ended (Fall and Spring). See important deadlines as listed.
4. SDAC Contacts the Student for a Meeting: Once the application review is complete, an SDAC Advisor will contact the student through their UVA email address(i.e., @virginia.edu) with instructions to set up an initial meeting.
Important Deadlines
Area | Deadline |
Housing | May 15th: Reach out to SDAC as early as possible, ideally by the deposit deadline. Student Housing Applications for incoming first years are due June 1st. Review the UVA Housing and Residence Life website, as well as the SDAC Housing Accommodation process. |
Dining | May 15th: Reach out to SDAC as early as possible, ideally by the deposit deadline. Review the UVA Dining website, as well as the SDAC Dietary Accommodation process. |
Orientation | June 1st: Contact SDAC if students are in need of orientation accommodations, such as captioning, interpreter, transportation, dietary, and housing. If any family members or non-students are in need of accommodations, please reach out to [email protected]. |
Academic | After Student Summer Orientation: Reach out to SDAC for an initial meeting once the student has registered for Fall classes, unless there are particular accommodations that require more long-term planning. Students are recommended to start the process no less than two weeks before the start of classes. |
The Difference Between High School and College
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Resources for Transition from High School to College
- The Difference Between High School and College (Center On Transition, VCU)
- Level Up VA Resources (State Council on Higher Education for Virginia)
- How to Think College: Understanding the Differences Between High School and College (UMass Boston, Think College Transition Project)