Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities
Created by the Florida Legislature and housed at the University of Central Florida, the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities provides financial support so students with intellectual disabilities have opportunities for on-campus college experiences and employment opportunities through degree, certificate, or non-degree programs. Support provided by the Center includes scholarship funding for students and grant funding to support post secondary institutions as they develop new opportunities. For more information, see fcsua.org.
Signed into law by Florida’s governor on January 21, 2016, the Florida Post secondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act (the Act) (FS 1004.6495) established the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida (the Center) and charged the Center with managing the Florida Post secondary Comprehensive Transition Program (FPCTP) application and approval process. The Act also established criteria for FPCTP approval, scholarship awards for eligible students to attend approved programs, grant awards to promote new program development and existing program enhancements, and accountability requirements associated with these opportunities.
As stated in the legislation, the purpose of the ACT is to “increase independent living, inclusive and experiential post secondary education, and employment opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities through degree, certificate, or non-degree programs and to establish statewide coordination of the dissemination of information regarding programs and services for students with disabilities. It is the intent of the Legislature that students with intellectual disabilities and students with disabilities have access to meaningful post secondary education credentials and be afforded the opportunity to have a meaningful campus experience.” (FS §1004.6495(2))
