Prospective Students

• Enrolling at CSU
• Placement Testing
• Getting Started with Disability Services
• Financial Aid
• Advising
• BVR and BSVI
• Orientation
• Disability Documentation Guidelines
• Differences Between High School and College

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. All students must meet Cleveland State’s admission criteria. When you have received your acceptance letter it is time to register with the Office of Disability Services.

1. Call 216-687-2015 to set up an appointment with one of our disability specialists for the mandatory intake interview.
2. Bring to the meeting documentation verifying your disability. Not all documentation will work so visit our Disability documentation guidelines to make sure you have what you need.
3. You will come in for the intake interview and discuss your documentation, accommodations you have received in the past, and accommodations that will be needed to complete your academic programs at Cleveland State.
4. There are some application for service forms that you will need to fill out and send back to us. This can usually be completed during the intake interview.
5. Our office will send you a letter to notify you of your registration status. If you provide appropriate documentation this can usually be decided during the intake interview.

At the intake interview you will discuss all appropriate accommodations. All services that we offer are determined on a case by case basis matching the most appropriate accommodation with each students needs. Typical accommodations are a quite testing room, extended time on exams, alternative text formats for reading materials, and note takers.

If you come to the campus for the first time and are having trouble finding where you need to go call the Campus Escort Service at (216) 687-2020. They can assist you in getting from points A to B or even from points A to ODS.

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 adapted computers that the forms can be filled out on at the campus. You can apply for financial aid through FAFSA’s Website. CSU’s Financial Aid Department has a great website that describes how the FAFSA process works and their webpages have information about other financial assistance that you may be eligible for.

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 counselors.

In the state of Ohio the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) and the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) provide 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’. For more information call 1-866-325-0026 or visit BVR and BSVI’s website.

Orientation

If you need accommodations for the new student orientation programs please contact our office at (216) 687-2015 at least 2 weeks before your scheduled orientation session. For information about the CSU Orientation programs visit the Orientation webpages.