A common point of confusion in the world of special education, with a shoutout to transitioning from a K-12 system to higher education in the US, are the differences between an individualized education plan (IEP) (often discussed alongside 504 plans), and an accommodation. We both have direct experience with the two terms and have experienced several struggles in the transition between the two from different points of view. This post aims to educate and clarify these legal support systems as well as share our personal experiences with them.  

Terms Defined 

Individualized Education Plan 

Definition: An individualized education plan (better known as an IEP) is a written document created to ensure that a child with identified disabilities (attending public elementary or secondary educational institutions) receives the needed special education instruction, services, and support from the institution. An IEP must include all services the school will provide for a student, including any accommodations, modifications, assistive technology/tools, and how the student will be included in general education classes.  

For a student to obtain an IEP, they must have one or more of the following disabilities (and the disability must negatively impact the student’s schooling) (Rawe 2024): 

• Autism spectrum disorder 
• Deafblindness 
• Deafness 
• Emotional disturbance 
• Hearing impairment 
• Intellectual disability 
• Multiple disabilities 
• Orthopedic impairment 
• Other health impairment 
• Specific learning disability 
• Speech or language impairment 
• Traumatic brain injury 
• Visual impairment, including blindness 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, parents have legal rights called procedural safeguards. One of these procedural safeguards is called a prior written notice (Lee 2024). This requires schools to notify parents if they want to add, change, or deny educational services to their children or wish to change their placement. A prior written notice should include a description of what supports the school plans to continue or decline. It must also explain why the school wants to make this change or is refusing to make the change you requested, other options that were considered, and each record the school used in making the decision. Lastly, it must include a reminder that parents have legal rights to other procedural safeguards.   

504 Plan  

Definition: A 504 plan (or just “504”) is another standard school support for K-12 students with learning disabilities. 504 plans aim to remove barriers preventing students with disabilities from learning alongside their peers in general education. A key difference between an IEP is that a 504 does not include specially designed instruction.  

To obtain a 504 plan, a student must have a disability that impacts one or more major life activities (i.e., reading or paying attention). 504 plans do not necessarily have to be documented in written form for every student, but they often encompass any accommodations or assistive technology/tools provided for students by the school (Rawe 2024). 

Accommodations 

Definition: Accommodations in the higher education setting are available to students with disabilities to facilitate them to access instruction and assessment (see Disability NC for more information). They are not put in place to reduce learning or expectations, but rather to adjust the approach to coursework in ways that allow a student to access and be assessed on the curriculum. It is important to note here that accommodations, while meeting an individual student’s needs, are not an individualized education plan (IEP). It is not meant to be an individual education plan and this difference is important.  

An accommodation should not change the fundamental elements of a course or assessment. It is just meant to make them accessible. So, for example, if focusing and visual processing is a challenge for a student because of their disability, an appropriate accommodation may be to have note-taking support, typically using either a software option or designating another student in the class to regularly share notes. Another example may be providing extra time on exams or quizzes, but the student still takes the same exam or quiz as all students—they are simply given more time to complete the assessment.  

Accommodations can be related to setting, like needing to sit in the front of a classroom, or needing to take an assessment in a quiet area outside of the classroom. The point to remember here is that the curriculum does not fundamentally change, and there are reasonable adaptations to facilitate a learner having access to the class material.  

Universal Design for Learning, when used in the classroom setting, can support all learners as the whole class has flexibility in choosing how to engage with content or complete an assessment that supports their needs. However, if this approach isn’t built into the class already, offering assignment flexibility to just the student on an accommodation plan is not appropriate, as this would be a fundamental change to the course and not an accommodation. 

In another example, if students are learning content and working in groups to write a paper and presentation, then offering an accommodation for a student with a disability who is struggling in that group setting to be able to complete the paper and presentation on their own would be outside of an accommodation and considered a fundamental change to the course. This difference is important for faculty and students to understand. Adapting a course in significant ways to support a student’s learning needs can be built into course structures to meet all students’ needs, but cannot be applied to just one student under the umbrella of an “accommodation”—it should not be applied in that way. 

There are ways faculty can better support students who advocate for their needs in the classroom. For example, understanding and having conversations about what extended time on assignments or exams looks like for the student can help them make decisions of how to apply that accommodation. Does the student need it on every assignment? Are there assignments in your course that students need to have completed by a certain time to enable them to engage with the next unit of content? Having conversations with students and making a plan can set the expectations for the course up front, benefitting both students and faculty.  

A Professor’s Experience 

Caroline: I have been a faculty member in higher education for over twenty years. I have supported a number of students within and outside of an accommodation structure. It is most helpful in all situations to have a conversation with the student, and trust they understand their experience the best. That doesn’t mean trying new things is off the table, but a conversation is really important for understanding. I have found it also helps them believe that you are there to support their learning.  

These conversations can include understanding when they might need extensions on assignments and how to ask for those in advance, or where they might prefer taking an exam and how you will be available for questions. For example, in a previous semester, rooms near our classroom were open, so I just let students who needed a separate setting take the test there, so I was easily available for questions. I often also work with students on assignment extensions because sometimes it isn’t an assignment I want them putting extra time into. While I respect that they want to always turn in their best work, sometimes an assignment with all the required parts that isn’t reviewed for “perfection” an extra time or two is perfectly appropriate to turn in. I find students don’t always understand what is “enough.”  

I have also learned over time that flexibility within my course structure affords all students opportunities to find ways to access the content that works for them. That is really how I have adapted my teaching over time, just expanding ways the students can engage in the course material. I always find this enables and inspires students to dive in and learn–all students. Even with this attention to flexibility and care in course set-up and execution, accommodations will likely be needed by students with disabilities. I always aim to support their needs so they can access the content and then presume they can. 

A Student’s Experience  

Kira: It is important to note that every student with IEPs and 504s have their own experiences. I aim to share insight on my experience, hoping it may help others. Still, I am in no way attempting to generalize the personal experiences of all students.  

I have a learning disability, dyslexia, as well as severe anxiety. Because of this, I had an IEP from first grade through sophomore year of high school, then switched to a 504 for the remainder of high school. Now, I have received accommodations from Elon University for three years.   

Once a year, a group including my mother, one of my teachers, special education teachers, and the school psychologist would meet for an hour to decide what I needed to succeed. Only in my second year in high school could I attend my own IEP meetings (more on this in my blog post, “The Power of a Voice (as a Neurodivergent Learner“). This fact alone upset me a lot while I was growing up. That said, I had no idea what I was walking into. I sat at a table with my mom, science teacher, case manager, and school psychologist. All the staff at the meeting wanted me to switch to a 504 because they thought I would not receive the same accommodations I received in high school when I went to college, and switching over to a 504 would make the transition easier. I struggled with this decision, as the educators and staff in the room’s point made me feel I would not be able to attend college if I did not make the switch. However, my mom, who had been fighting for my accommodations my entire academic life, told me to stick with my IEP. Ultimately, I decided to switch to a 504 plan. The key difference was that I was solely on my own to advocate for myself and what I needed to succeed.  

At the start of my third year of high school, I devised a plan in hopes that I could succeed academically. I requested a one-on-one meeting with each teacher to discuss what I’d need to succeed. I negotiated visiting student services during class if I felt overwhelmed, getting a test read to me, and receiving guided notes to study from. Standing up for myself made me feel more confident I could handle the adjustment from an IEP to a 504, and eventually to requesting accommodations through college.  

A familiar feeling among students with IEPs is the desire to give more input and know more about their IEPS. I learned about the issues in my school district related to IEPs and 504 plans only in college. While talking to my mom, I learned about her constant battle with the schools (elementary through high school) to continue my IEPs. Their main reasoning in pushing back was that I succeeded academically with the IEP supports, so they no longer wanted to provide them. They also often told my mom that I would not “make it through” college if I continued to have an IEP. This information made me question whether I had decided to switch to a 504 or if the school had convinced me for the wrong reasons. Ultimately, I will never know the truth about that situation. 

The only thing I can do from here is learn from my experiences and stay educated on standard school support plans. My experience has had its ups and downs. More to come in a future blog!  

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References 

Rawe, Julie. 2024. “The Difference between IEPs and 504 Plans.” Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024. 

Rawe, Julie. 2024. “IDEA Disability Categories.” Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/conditions-covered-under-idea. Accessed Nov. 5, 2024. 

JD, Andrew M. I. Lee. 2024. “Prior Written Notice: Your Right to Hear about Changes to Your Child’s IEP.” Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/prior-written-notice-your-right-to-hear-about-changes. Accessed Nov. 10, 2024.  

Disability Rights North Carolina. 2021. “Your Rights in College.” https://disabilityrightsnc.org/resources/your-rights-in-college/.  

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About the Authors  

Kira Campagna is a 2024-2026 CEL Student Scholar CEL Student Scholar collaborating with participants in the 2024-2026 research seminar on Affirming and Inclusive Engaged Learning for Neurodivergent Students. She’s majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Environmental Education. Learn more about the current student scholars.    

Caroline J. Ketcham is a professor of exercise science at Elon University and a seminar leader for the 2024-2026 CEL Research Seminar on Affirming and Inclusive Engaged Learning for Neurodivergent Students. As the 2021-2023 Center for Engaged Learning Scholar, she focused on Supporting Neurodiverse and Physically Disabled Students in Engaged Learning. In 2023, she was recognized with Elon’s Distinguished Scholar Award. 

How to Cite This Post  

Campagna, Kira, and Caroline J. Ketcham. 2025. “Why Is It So Different In College?: Individualized Education Plans vs. Accommodations.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog), Elon University. January 3, 2025. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/why-is-it-so-different-in-college-individualized-education-plans-vs-accommodations.