ED Advances Equity Agenda for Students with Disabilities

Building on the original Equity Action Plan of 2022, the U.S. Department of Education released an updated plan on February 13 that showcases efforts to expand access for underserved students, including students with disabilities. Accomplishments to date include: awarding over $40 million in Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and TRIO Upward Bound grants in Fiscal Year 2023 for programs focused on helping, among others, students with disabilities to gain access to college; granting automatic relief for student Pell Grant loan borrowers with total and permanent disabilities; and ensuring equitable American Rescue Plan Act funding for students most  impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including children with disabilities. Going forward, the 2023 Updated Equity Action Plan includes these strategies (and more) to address barriers to equity: supporting access to higher education through GEAR UP and TRIO programs; ensuring available resources to support recovery from pandemic learning loss; and improving opportunities in career and technical education for those incarcerated or confined. The updated Equity Action Plan was released in coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government equity agenda.

Read the Updated Equity Action Plan here.