Providing support to students, families, and institutions of higher ed so that students with intelle
11/20/2025
Join us for our December FCSUA Monthly Webinar on December 2, from 3-4 p.m.. Our December webinar "A Family Guide to Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Programs" will be presented by the FCSUA Technical Assistance team and will discuss:
~ What FPCTPs are and how they support students
~ Available scholarships, including requirements
~ Application timelines and processes
~ Credentials students can earn
~ Employment outcomes and success stories
Kelly Southmayd is the program director for the SEU Link Program at Southeastern University in Lakeland.
SEU Link was the first approved Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program approved at a private university in Florida, but it certainly won't be the last. Over the years, Southmayd has seen the students mature inside the classroom and in the college campus community and continues to encourage and support their growth.
Read more about the SEU Link program in our2024-25 Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities Executive Summary, now available on our website.
11/17/2025
We are proud of the work that Polk State College has been doing through the Empower to Employ program!
Polk State College has long prided itself on being an inclusive institution where students of all backgrounds and persuasions could thrive. Since August, the College has reached an often-overlooked demographic – students with intellectual disabilities.…
11/17/2025
The Unique Professionals program at Pinellas Technical College is expanding! A second program will soon be available for students at the Clearwater campus! We are excited to see the PTC UP program expanding and providing more opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to attend college.
11/14/2025
Eligible students enrolled in a Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program can earn a scholarship up to $15,000. Last year, $3.2 million was distributed to 354 eligible students in the programs.
11/14/2025
The Center is proud of the work Christian Zimmerman continues to do in Florida and nationally.
On November 20, Christian Zimmerman will present a webinar on “Paving the way for students with IDD in Career and Technical Education” for ICI’s Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium. He is a national expert from the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities. Zimmerman was instrumental in crafting "Supporting Students with Intellectual Disability to Access Career and Technical Education: A Step-by-Step Guide," available through Think College. Register at https://z.umn.edu/avhc
11/12/2025
Judith Wiley is the program coordinator for Lively Technical College's SOAR Program.
SOAR is one of the largest approved Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Programs at a technical college, with more than 20 students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year. Wiley says that SOAR is dedicated to ensuring students succeed in the classroom and beyond.
Read more about the SOAR program in our 2024-25 Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities Executive Summary, available on our website.
11/11/2025
To all who have served—thank you for your service and dedication to our country.
Happy Veteran's Day. Our office is closed today in obersavtion. We will be back open tomorrow morning.
11/10/2025
Meet our newest team member Tanmay Arora, M.s. Computer Science, who joins our team as a Web Applications Developer. His work involves full-stack web development, database integration, managing the Salesforce infrastructure and implementing data visualization features to improve user experience.
Before joining FCSUA, Tanmay worked as a Software Engineer with UCF IT and One Community Global, where he developed cloud-based web applications and automated workflows to optimize system performance. Outside of work, he enjoys chess, badminton, and spending time with friends.
Say hello to Tanmay in the comments below!
11/07/2025
Eligible students enrolled in a Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program are eligible to earn a scholarship up to $15,000. Last year, 354 out of 360 enrolled students earned a scholarship to cover the cost of attending their respective program.
11/06/2025
Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program in the news…
'OKALOOSA UP' STUDENTS: Students with intellectual disabilities are gaining real-world job skills at Okaloosa Technical College through a program that has them serving breakfast in a campus cafe, catering meetings and even building tiny homes alongside traditional students.
Okaloosa UP, a two-year certificate program launched in 2021, currently serves 13 students who are working toward industry certifications and competitive employment in two career pathways: Professional Culinary Arts & Hospitality and Building Trades & Construction Design Technology.
“The goal of the two-year program is for our students to be in an inclusive college environment, to learn employability skills and then to earn any industry certifications that they can along the way,” said Cheryl Rushing, program coordinator for Okaloosa UP.
Each morning, students operate a campus cafe where they serve breakfast to OTC staff and students. They take orders, handle payments, calculate change and prepare food. They also cater board meetings and campus events, gaining experience interacting with customers in formal settings.
On the building trades side, students work on construction teams building tiny homes, learning hands-on skills alongside traditional program students. One graduate even became a leaderman in the traditional building trades program after completing Okaloosa UP.
The program has developed strong partnerships with local employers, particularly the Hilton Garden Inn, which has hired several graduates. Okaloosa UP is the first Florida post-secondary comprehensive transition program in the Panhandle and remains the only such program in Okaloosa County.
🔗 link to the full story with more pictures below...
11/05/2025
Erika Escobar is the program coordinator for Miami Dade College's STAR Academy at the Wolfson's Campus. The STAR Academy welcomed its first cohort of students last year and offers credentials such as Hospitality and Culinary. Escobar believe that college is for anybody who wants to learn, regardless of their ability levels.
Read more about the STAR Academy in our 2024-25 Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities Executive Summary, available on our website.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities:
Signed into law by Florida’s governor on January 23, 2016, the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act (the Act) (FS 1004.6495) established the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida (the Center) and charged the Center with managing the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program (FPCTP) application and approval process. The Act also established criteria for FPCTP approval, scholarship awards for eligible students to attend approved programs, grant awards to promote new program development and existing program enhancements, and accountability requirements associated with these opportunities.
As stated in the legislation, the purpose of the ACT is to “increase independent living, inclusive and experiential postsecondary education, and employment opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities through degree, certificate, or nondegree programs and to establish statewide coordination of the dissemination of information regarding programs and services for students with disabilities. It is the intent of the Legislature that students with intellectual disabilities and students with disabilities have access to meaningful postsecondary education credentials and be afforded the opportunity to have a meaningful campus experience.” (FS §1004.6495(2))
