Key points
- The US Department of Education says a college is not required to identify a student as having a disability or assess the student's needs; the student must come forward.
- The Department's Office for Civil Rights says an IEP or Section 504 plan is generally not sufficient documentation for college.
- CUNY's documentation guideline, as posted by BMCC and York College, asks for an ADHD evaluation within the past three years.
- Colleges may not charge students for academic adjustments, but neither the high school nor the college has to pay for a new evaluation.
- A complaint to the Office for Civil Rights must ordinarily be filed within 180 days of the last act of discrimination.
College accommodations run on different rules from high school. The law changes, the paperwork changes, and the student becomes the one who has to start the process. This article compares how that works at public and private campuses in New York, using the rules each school publishes, as checked in October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. Each school's disability office, the federal Office for Civil Rights or an education attorney can answer individual questions.
What federal law requires of colleges
The US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the ADA. OCR's guidance for students explains that practically every postsecondary school is subject to one or both. Its complaint page describes covered institutions as including all public schools and most public and private colleges and universities.
The main points from OCR's pamphlet for students:
- A different duty. A college "is not required to provide FAPE" (the free appropriate public education owed by school districts). It must provide "appropriate academic adjustments as necessary to ensure that it does not discriminate on the basis of disability."
- You must self-identify. Disclosure is always voluntary, but if you want an adjustment you have to identify yourself as having a disability. The college is not required to identify you or assess your needs.
- Follow the procedure, early. Schools may require reasonable procedures, and you are responsible for knowing them. You can ask at any time, but OCR advises asking as early as possible.
- Essential requirements stay. A school may have to provide extended testing time, but it is not required to change the substantive content of a test or to lower or substantially modify essential requirements.
- No charge. A school may not charge you for an academic adjustment.
- Personal services are excluded. Tutoring, personal attendants and individually prescribed devices are not required.
A diagnosis does not by itself produce accommodations. Schools look for how the condition currently affects academic work, and OCR describes an interactive process in which the school may offer the adjustment you asked for or an effective alternative.
Why an IEP or 504 plan does not carry over
OCR's wording is direct: an IEP or Section 504 plan "may help identify services that have been effective for you. This is generally not sufficient documentation, however, because of the differences between postsecondary education and high school education." The special education law behind IEPs does not apply to colleges at all.
Old plans are still worth keeping. CUNY's guidelines say prior documentation can be attached to current documentation, Cornell lists a high school accommodation plan among helpful items, and the University at Buffalo names an IEP as a possible source of information. Expect it to support a request, not to settle one.
On cost, OCR states that neither your high school nor your college is required to conduct or pay for a new evaluation, and that a state vocational rehabilitation agency may provide one at no cost if you are eligible. In New York that agency is described in ACCES-VR for adults with ADHD.
Documentation rules at New York campuses
These are the published rules that were opened and read for this guide. Policies change, so confirm with the office before paying for an evaluation.
| School | How recent? | What it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| CUNY (guideline as posted by BMCC and York College) | Evaluation "within the past three years" and updated as required | A qualified professional with training in the full range of psychiatric disorders; history from onset; functional limitations in the educational setting; rationale for each recommendation |
| University at Albany (SUNY) | Signed within the past five years for ADHD, which Albany groups with learning disabilities | Usually a letter on letterhead from the treating professional showing substantial limitations and explaining how each accommodation addresses them |
| Binghamton University (SUNY) | From when the student was at least 14 years old | Clear confirmation of a diagnosis, not a list of symptoms; an ADHD Provider Form (revised March 2026) may be submitted in lieu of diagnostic testing |
| Stony Brook University (SUNY) | No stated limit on the pages read | A Documentation of Disability Form from a treating professional, with recommendations for accommodations |
| University at Buffalo (SUNY) | No fixed rule stated | The student's own account first; documentation or a history of accommodation may be requested |
| Columbia University | Testing within the past five years; older evaluations can be submitted for review | Neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment with all scores, a DSM-5 diagnosis and evidence of childhood symptoms (guideline text revised June 2015) |
| Cornell University | No recency rule | No strict requirement and no ADHD form; educational records, evaluations or a provider statement are described as helpful |
A few details from those pages are easy to miss:
- Albany says statements such as "student has X disability and therefore needs Y accommodation" are not sufficient, and it may offer provisional services case by case while documentation is obtained.
- Binghamton says chart notes, prescription pad notations, screening instruments, IEPs and 504 plans generally do not provide sufficient information by themselves, and also that lack of documentation will not prevent its office from meeting with you.
- Stony Brook and Columbia do not accept documentation from a family member. Columbia states that a diagnosis or a prescription "does not necessarily justify the provision of accommodations."
- York College routes documents through the CUNY Accommodate system and asks students not to send them by email.
The CUNY guideline was confirmed through two colleges' postings, so other CUNY campuses may present it differently. NYU's documentation pages could not be opened for this guide, and nothing about NYU is stated here. Check directly with the school.
What a clinician's report needs to contain to meet rules like these is covered in what an ADHD evaluation report needs for work, school and exam accommodations. The adult ADHD evaluation page explains how a clinical evaluation is done.
Accommodations these sources list
OCR's examples of academic adjustments include priority registration, a reduced course load, course substitution, note takers, recording devices, extended time for testing and adaptive software.
Albany lists testing in a space with reduced distractions or with additional time, flexibility for episodic conditions, assistive software and priority registration in select cases, naming ADHD among the qualifying examples. Buffalo lists note-taking assistance, accessible textbooks, testing accommodations and assistive equipment.
Albany also states what does not transfer from high school: clarified or simplified test questions, graphic organizers as standard accommodations, and anything that alters the fundamental goals or standards of a course.
What happens after approval
Approval is usually not permanent. Stony Brook requires renewal each semester, Buffalo issues a new Accommodation Memo each semester, and York College requires a semester request.
Faculty learn the accommodations and not the diagnosis. York tells students to notify professors of their accommodations, "not your diagnosis," and Albany's accommodation letters contain no diagnostic information.
Disability offices handle adjustments only. Medical care and prescriptions are a separate matter, covered in what New York campus health centers will and won't do for ADHD.
If a request is denied
Every covered school must have a Section 504 or ADA coordinator and a grievance procedure. At Albany, for example, a written appeal goes to the university's 504 Coordinator, and the school notes that a student may also file with the New York State Division of Human Rights.
OCR complaints have two clocks. A complaint must ordinarily be filed within 180 days of the last act of discrimination. You are not required to use the school's grievance process first, but if you do, the OCR complaint must be filed within 60 days after that process ends. Retaliation for complaining is prohibited.
Students planning for graduate admissions tests or licensing exams face a separate set of rules, compared in ADHD accommodations on the New York bar exam and other exams.
Questions
Will my high school IEP or 504 plan get me accommodations in college?
Not by itself. The federal Office for Civil Rights says an IEP or 504 plan is generally not sufficient documentation for college, though it can help show what has worked. Several New York schools accept it as supporting material.
How old can my ADHD evaluation be?
It depends on the campus. CUNY's guideline says within the past three years, the University at Albany says five years for ADHD, Columbia asks for testing within five years, and Binghamton asks only that it date from age 14 or later. Cornell, Buffalo and Stony Brook state no fixed limit on the pages reviewed.
Do I have to tell the college I have ADHD when I apply?
No. Disclosure is voluntary, and a school may not deny admission simply because of a disability if you meet its essential requirements. You only need to identify yourself to the disability office if you want an academic adjustment.
Will my professors be told my diagnosis?
Schools reviewed for this guide tell faculty the accommodations only. York College instructs students to share accommodations and not the diagnosis, and the University at Albany's letters include no diagnostic information.
Who pays for a new evaluation?
Usually the student. Federal guidance says neither the high school nor the college must pay for an evaluation. A state vocational rehabilitation agency may cover one for eligible people.
Sources
- US Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education (September 2011 text, page reviewed October 2, 2026)
- US Department of Education: How to File a Discrimination Complaint with OCR (reviewed August 26, 2025)
- BMCC (CUNY): CUNY Documentation Guidelines
- York College (CUNY): Center for Students with Disabilities, Documentation (revised September 15, 2026)
- University at Albany: Register with Disability Access and Inclusion Student Services
- University at Albany: Accommodations
- Binghamton University: Services for Students with Disabilities, Documentation
- Stony Brook University: Student Accessibility Support Center, Register
- University at Buffalo: Accessibility Resources, Request Accommodations
- Columbia University Health: Guidelines for Documentation of ADHD (revised June 2015)
- Cornell University Student Disability Services: Documentation Guidelines
