History
Aggies Elevated was the first inclusive postsecondary education program for students with intellectual/developmental disabilities in Utah. The program accepted its first cohort of students in 2014 and awarded its first certificates to graduates in 2016. In 2021, the program expanded to the USU Eastern campus in Price.
Aggies Elevated is a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP), which is a federal designation that identifies the program as meeting rigorous standards as outlined in legislation. Standards include: at least 50% inclusion with students without disabilities, credit-bearing courses, approved curriculum, work-based training, satisfactory progress monitoring, and comprehensive growth in academics, independent living, and career readiness.
Mission
Aggies Elevated empowers college-age students with I/DD to develop the capabilities necessary for competitive integrated employment, full community inclusion, and independent living to their highest ability. Students engage in a collaborative person-centered planning process focused on their strengths, interests, support needs, vocational goals, and life skills.
Our fully inclusive college program provides access to the same opportunities for academic exploration, growth and maturity, and increased social networks that all other college students experience in post-secondary education. Aggies Elevated students continue to demonstrate improved outcomes in several areas of adulthood including independent living, competitive employment, and social integration.
