Incoming CSU Students

Before you can register with the Office of Disability Services you must first be admitted to Cleveland State University. If you have not been admitted please contact 216-687-5411 to set up a visit or visit our Admissions webpages to learn about the admissions process and criteria. 

Registering with Disability Services

Once you are enrolled at Cleveland State it is time to register with our office. To receive accommodations, students must submit an online application, provide documentation of their disability and come in for an intake appointment. Students are not registered with Disability Services until all these steps are complete. Visit our Register with Us page to start the process.

Financial Aid

You will need to apply for Financial Aid as soon as you plan on attending CSU. Our office is not able to assist in the financial aid application process except for ASL interpreters needed for a meeting or to offer computers with assistive technology to complete the necessary forms. You can apply for financial aid through FAFSA. CSU's Financial Aid Department has a great website that describes cost of attendance at CSU and provide helpful information about other financial assistance that you may be eligible for.

Advising

For academic advising you will need to visit the advising office of the department of your major. If you are unsure of which office you need to visit for advising visit the Determining your Advising Office page. If you have questions about how your disability will effect different aspects of a course or need to request an accommodation, please set up a meeting with one of our disability specialists.

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

In the state of Ohio, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) provide vocational rehabilitation services to students making the transition from high school to college. They also provide vocational rehabilitation for people who become disabled later in life. The assistance they provide is for training programs, like a University, and for high and low tech aids to assist a person in their vocational endeavors'. Cleveland State is partnered with the OOD College2Careers program. For general information call (866) 325-0026 or visit our College2Careers program page.

Orientation

If you need accommodations for the new student orientation programs please contact our office at (216) 687-2015 at least two weeks before your scheduled orientation session. For information about the CSU orientation programs visit the Orientation webpages.

Confidentiality

Information about students at the university level is considered confidential, including disability information. The ODS can release information within the university on a need-to-know basis, but cannot release information to individuals outside the university-including to parents-without written consent from the student. The Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) is the law that governs the confidentiality of educational records. The Cleveland State Registrars office has a Summary of FERPA and how it protects student information.

However, if a parent, or counselor believes there is something we should know about a student, like (additional disability information or concerns they may have, they can always feel free to call and let one of our staff know. We can't guarantee how that information will be used, but it is often helpful for us if we know there might be a problem or concern.

The following information will help prepare an incoming student for college:

• Accommodation Services - This page gives information about the services that students may be eligible for when registering to receive accommodations.
• Differences Between High School and College - explains the differences a student will need to understand when transitioning from High School.
• Milestone Autism Resources Preparing for Post Secondary Education - This resources gives a breakdown of how to prepare a student with Autism and what to expect when going to college.
• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Post Secondary Education - This information was prepared by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to inform students and parents of the students rights and responsibilities when entering higher education.
• Preparing for College, An Online Tutorial - This website was prepared by the University of Washington to give parents, students, and counselors a list of resources for properly selecting a students vocational path and preparing them for college with introducing self-advocacy skills.
• Self-Advocacy for College Students - This information is available from LD Online to dispel myths about learning disabilities and promote self-advocacy for students in college. It was prepared by the National Center for Learning Disabilities in 1993 and has great information that would work for all disability types.