Financial Aid Assistance and Resources for Persons with Disabilities

Vocational and Educational Services for Persons with Disabilities

• VESID: VESID's web pages for program information and VESID branch office locations.
• Reader's Aid: The purpose of the Reader's Aid Program is to provide payments to readers, notetakers and interpreters for students who are blind or deaf and matriculated in an institution of higher education. The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) is responsible for the program. The program is administered at Empire State College by the student accounts office. For more information about the Reader's Aid Program, contact the Student Accounts Office, or the Empire State College Student Information Center at 518-587-2100 or 800-847-3000.
• National Federation of the Blind (NFB) : Information on scholarships available to persons who are legally blind.

Part-time Tap Eligibility for Students with Disabilities

ADA Part-Time TAP : General information and requirements for ADA Part-Time TAP.

NYS Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities

New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQCAPD): The advocate's webpages for information on technology-related assistance for persons with disabilities, Americans with Disabilities Act, links to other sites for persons with disabilities, and more.

Other Sources of Student Financial Aid for Persons with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office has a variety of information resources available online for the blind and visually impaired. Details about these options are below.

Student Aid Guide

The U.S. Department of Education provides an audio overview of the Department's federal student aid programs available in a CD format including information on:

• eligibility criteria
• application procedures
• loan repayment options
• deferment and cancellation provisions.

The audio highlights also provide information on nonfederal sources of aid. The free CD can be played on any audio player. To request a CD, call the Federal Student Information Center at 800-4-FED-AID.

Braille Publications

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Students use the FAFSA to apply for the federal student aid programs administered by the Department of Education's Federal Student Aid office. The Braille FAFSA itself cannot be submitted. Students may use a Braille FAFSA as a reference aid. (Note that the online version of the FAFSA is accessible to screen readers.)
• The Department of Education's Federal Student Aid page offers braille publications and other accessible versions of booklets and brochures, videos and images, forms and worksheets, and resources to assist you in learning about and applying for student aid.

Federal TTY Numbers

Several major call centers have toll-free TTY numbers for deaf and hearing-impaired students. Teletypewriter access is available during the "operator-services" hours of operation. Students may contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-730-8913. The center provides general information on the federal student aid programs administered by the Department of Education and also assists students in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students also may call 800-30-8913 for help applying electronically.