Prospective & Incoming Students

Preparing for College: Accessibility and Accommodations


 The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is here to support students and their families through every stage of the transition to college—whether you’re still exploring your options or already committed to Tulane. For an overall consideration of your transition to college as a student with health considerations, visit our helpful guide for information about campus resources and living in New Orleans. If you have confirmed your spot for the fall, you’re welcome to apply for disability accommodations. While students can submit requests at any time, we recommend starting the process during the summer—well before arriving on campus in August. Because the review process can take several weeks, early applications are encouraged. For more background, please review the slides of our Accessibility at Tulane Family Programs webinar or if you'd like a more in-depth conversation or consultation for you/your student's accommodation needs, please don't hesitate to contact our office at goldman@tulane.edu or (504)-862-8433. We operate during standard business hours, Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5:00PM. 

 

Important Dates and Deadlines

 

We encourage incoming students to apply for their academic accommodations over the course of the summer (May-July) so that any approved accommodations can be ready for the fall start. To honor this timeline, submit a request for academic accommodations before July 15 for priority consideration ahead of the semester start. While academic accommodations can be approved at any time, no accommodation is retroactive, so taking care of this process over the summer is important. 

For incoming Spring Scholars or spring transfer students, please submit your academic accommodation request for October 15.

Incoming students seeking housing-based accommodations in the residence halls should apply for housing accommodations between March 1 and May 1 with the Goldman Center. This deadline is important so that your application can be processed ahead of room selection for incoming students; applications received after this deadline will be considered and granted on a rolling basis, depending on capacity. For more information regarding housing accommodations and the housing accommodation process, please refer to our Housing Accessibility page.

Incoming students who are seeking accommodations should explore support through Tulane Hospitality and consider a Dining Plan Petition. Additional support for dining-based concerns can be found through our Dining Accessibility page.

For accommodations in any of these environments, the general application remains the same.

The Role of Parents and Families


 

The best way to support your student is by continuing to encourage the self-advocacy skills you’ve helped them build throughout their education. Students should complete their accommodation request in their own words, though you’re welcome to assist them in navigating the process. Our approach is student-led and student-centered. With your student’s consent, you may join their Access Interview, but the Goldman Center requires the student’s direct involvement in all meetings and accommodation decisions. We recognize that this transition affects families as well as students. Encourage your student to contact our office with any questions or concerns about accommodations. You can also explore additional campus resources, such as Student Success and Case Management, to further support them. Please read  An Open Letter to Parents of Students with Disabilities About to Enter College and review the differences in laws, guidance, and philosophies in high school accommodations versus accommodations in higher education.

Accommodations in High School:

  • Guarantee success
  • Legal guidance is provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • IDEA provides the mandate and funding for in-school individualized instruction/special education services as well as transportation, therapy services, and tutoring
  • Teachers will remind students of assignments, provide missed information to students when absent, and provide additional support such as teacher provided notes
  • The school is responsible for identifying students with disabilities, providing support, and involving the parents
  • The parent is the student's advocate

 

Accommodations in College:

  • Guarantee access, a key component of success, for students with disabilities. Accommodations must not amount to a fundamental alteration.
  • Legal guidance is provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act (for housing accommodation requests)
  • The ADA and Section 504 require colleges to provide accommodations and support services, but not services of a personal nature, such as individual therapy or tutoring services based on a disability
  • Students are responsible for activating accommodations, asking professors for help/support, and for making up missed work
  • Students with disabilities must request accommodations with the school and must be an active participant in the accommodations process
  • The student is expected to self-advocate


 

Interactive Process for Accommodations Approval


 

The Goldman Center facilitates the interactive process for accommodations at Tulane. As a facilitator of access, the Goldman Center is a neutral evaluator of the student's requested accommodations related to identified barriers to access and considering what academic adjustments may be necessary to create that access. We consider the student's request, provided documentation and recommendations, and the resources available within the program. As such, the Goldman Center is the final evaluator of what accommodations are necessary for a student. Each request is approached in an individualized process-- the guidance detailed on this page and across our website is for informational purposes around typical considerations and policies.

For incoming students, the transition from high school to college may be challenging as academic demands shift. We have put together helpful guidance for frequently requested accommodations and resources incoming students put in their online request. For further information about some of the terminology used on this page or in our process, visit our Key Terms page and review the information linked below.

Academic:

 

Housing:

 

Dining:

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Our online application system and information portal is confidential to our office. Your request for accommodations is not affiliated with your Tulane application nor admittance. 

It's important to know what your accommodation approvals could look like at each institution you are applying to, since there are changes in practices across universities. If you'd like to schedule a consultation to discuss potential accommodations, you may fill out the online application. For the most informed determination decision, be sure to provide thorough and current documentation of your accommodation needs. 

Request Accommodations

Your accommodations do NOT automatically transfer. To continue receiving accommodations, be sure to request accommodations through the Goldman Center. If approved for continued accommodations, these accommodations may look different because of access-based concerns.

This question is unique for each student. The Goldman Center's role is to review what is necessary for access based on a direct connection between disability and an identified barrier inherent in the environment. 

No accommodation should be granted if it is unnecessary for access, or if it poses a fundamental alteration to the standards set by the program.

Thus, some accommodations in high school are not appropriate in this environment. 

Accommodations in college may pertain to the academic, housing, and/or dining environments depending on your disability-related needs in college. Incoming students wishing to continue academic accommodations in college MUST complete our Request Form and submit supporting documentation. 

Ideally, you should submit your application and documentation simultaneously. If you have questions or concerns about our documentation requirements, please refer to our Documentation Guidelines. Students needing current documentation may consider utilizing the Fillable Provider Form. This form is not necessary if you have a current, comprehensive psychoeducational/neuropsychological evaluation to provide. 

Accommodation plans from high school are typically not sufficient supporting information for requesting disability accommodations at Tulane, since accommodation plans in high school deliver accommodations based in success rather than access.

The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is currently experiencing a high volume of accommodation requests, which may extend processing times. We typically respond to new applications within 3–5 business days. If your application includes complete documentation, you’ll receive a link to schedule your Access Interview (in person or virtual).

If documentation is missing, you’ll receive reminders—up to three—to submit the required materials. After that, your application will be archived but can be reactivated anytime by contacting our office.

After your Access Interview, please allow 10–15 business days for academic accommodation determinations. Requests requiring additional review (such as fundamental alteration considerations) may take longer.

Overall, please expect your accommodation request to take one to six weeks to process, depending on appointment availability and request volume.

Housing Accommodations: Housing requests are reviewed by the Housing Accommodation Committee, which meets on the first Friday of each month. Determinations are typically issued by the second Friday of the month.