Central Washington University -

Pre-Admission/Pre-Enrollment Assistance

Meeting with Disability Services

Pre-Admission Inquiries/Consultation: The DSS staff will be happy to introduce you to our services and answer any questions you have about our program or the University in general to help you in determining whether Central Washington University will be able to meet your needs and provide you with the best possible college experience. However, DSS staff cannot answer specific questions about admission, financial aid, and housing placements. Those questions must be directed to the Office of Admissions (509/963-1211), the Office of Financial Aid (509/963-1611), and the Office of University Housing (509/963-1831), respectively. If you believe that you will be denied admission because of your grade point average and/or test scores, we recommend that you disclose disability in your admission essay. CWU's Director of Admissions/Admission Committee are always willing to take into consideration the unique academic difficulties that disabilities have caused CWU applicants. However, please do not send confidential medical or diagnostic documentation of your disability to the Admissions Office. Documentation should be sent directly to the Office of Disability Support Services where it will be kept in a file separate from the rest of your student records.

Admission Accommodations

If the applicant believes his/her ACT or SAT test scores, or transcript of grades does not represent his/her academic ability, he/she should:

Write a letter to the Director of Admissions disclosing disability and explaining how the disability has affected academic achievement
Mail documentation of disability to Disability Support Services

If, after reviewing all application materials, the Director of Admissions/Admission Committee feels that the applicant is adequately prepared for university level classes, exception to standard admission criteria may be made. Information about disability is used only to the benefit of the applicant and never to prevent admission.

Please do not send documentation of disability to the Office of Admissions. If the Director of Admissions/Admissions Committee wish to know whether documentation has arrived, if that documentation is adequate, and/or if the applicant will be eligible to utilize academic accommodations, Disability Support Services will be called upon to provide this information.

Please note: An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is not acceptable documentation of disability in postsecondary educational settings. Contact Disability Support Services or review the section of this web site which describes documentation requirements for additional information.

It is important to note that the procedures recommended above do not guarantee admission to CWU for students with disabilities. By law, students with disabilities must be "otherwise qualified" which means they are required to meet the University's admission standards.

Arranging for Entrance or Placement Test Accommodation

Generally, CWU's Disability Support Services Office is not involved in arranging testing accommodations for entrance exams (i.e., ACT, SAT) as these tests are commonly scheduled by the high schools.

However, If you will be taking your entrance exam through the Testing Office at Central Washington University, please contact the Testing Supervisor at (509) 963-1847 for specific information about establishing testing accommodations. If you will be taking your entrance exam through your high school, another college, or a testing service, contact that institution/agency for specific information.

Registration

Registration is the process of becoming enrolled in specific courses and sections for any given quarter. The plan for your courses, or class schedule, is determined by you and your academic advisor. Students with disabilities work with the faculty, advisors assigned through special programs (such as the Student Support Services Program) and the Academic Advising Resource Center to select their classes each quarter. Disability Support Services staff are not trained as academic advisors.

Disability Support Services works with the Offices of Academic Services, Academic Advising, and Residential Services to coordinate DSS Intake Meetings as part of the registration/orientation programs for new students whose first quarter of enrollment will be fall quarter. During the month of July, CWU offers several opportunities for freshmen, transfer students, graduate, and readmitted students to participate in registration/orientation programs. Students with disabilities are invited to participate in informational meetings and students who have documented their disability/disabilities with DSS are invited to attend DSS Intake Meetings as part of their registration/orientation day.

Registration Accommodations

Not all students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations are eligible for early registration. In addition, early registration is normally available to continuing CWU students only. Early registration for classes is offered to students who:

Have physical or mobility impairments which require special structure in the scheduling of classes. For example, classes cannot be scheduled "back to back" as additional time is required to travel between classes.
Require print materials, such as textbooks and/or other classroom materials, in an alternative format (e.g., audio tape, Braille, Electronic Text or large print. Early registration allows students to identify the books they'll need and submit their requests to DSS in a timely manner. This is crucial as substantial lead time is required to ensure that print materials are available in alternative formats.
Require sign language interpreters or other technological alternatives in each of their classes. Early registration allows DSS time to coordinate interpreters' and students' schedules.
Have extraordinary class scheduling needs due to attention/concentration deficits, health restrictions, or the need to administer medications at specific times.

Financial Aid

Central Washington University's Office of Financial Aid is the best resource for information about financial assistance in general. For information visit CWU Financial Aid's home page.

Individuals with disabilities who require assistance in order to complete Financial Aid application materials may submit requests for accommodation to the Financial Aid Office or Disability Support Services.

The CWU Office of Financial Aid works with Disability Support Services to accommodate qualified students with disabilities who must take a reduced credit load and still maintain eligibility for financial aid. In order to receive this accommodation, students must complete the procedures required to qualify for services from Disability Support Services and provide adequate justification that their disability/disabilities affect(s) their ability to enroll as a full-time student. Taking a reduced credit load may reduce the amount of financial aid the student receives for the quarter.

Contact Information

400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
963-1111
email: days@cwu.edu