The Special Needs Grant Program

An Overview

The Special Needs Grant Program originated with the "Higher Education Services for Visually Impaired, Auditorily Impaired and Learning Disabled Students Act" in 1986. The Act established a program to facilitate the provision of support services for special needs students.

For Fiscal 2008 a total of $1,600,000 was appropriated for this grant program. Currently there are eight centers located throughout the state providing direct assistance to auditorily impaired, visually impaired, and learning disabled students. The goal of the centers is to provide integrated, individualized, direct services to students and technical assistance to other colleges and universities in the state.

The Center for Collegiate Deaf Education at Bergen Community College and the
Mid-Atlantic Postsecondary Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Camden County College specialize in assisting students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

There are five regional centers that assist students with learning disabilities:

• Project Assist at Cumberland County College,
• The Regional Center at Fairleigh Dickinson University,
• Central Regional Connections at Middlesex County College,
• Project Mentor at New Jersey City University and,
• Project Academic Skills Support at Ocean County College.

In addition The College of New Jersey hosts an
Adaptive Technology Center for NJ Colleges.

For additional information on this grant program, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at (609) 292-2955.