ACE-IT in College

2 students smiling at each other

“We are so happy that the ACE-IT program and everyone associated with it came into our lives. [Their] contributions go well beyond the success of each student in his/her respective community. It is amazing to watch the impact the graduates are having on the world-at-large. “

-ACE-IT Parent, 2018

The ACE-IT program as it is today was established in 2010 through a grant in Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability (TPSID) from the US Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education.

VCU's ACE-IT in College is an Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) program for students with intellectual disability that is fully accredited by IHEAC through 2030. ACE-IT is also a federally recognized Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Program (CTP) which allows students to access Federal student financial assistance such as Pell Grants and Federal Work Study.

Through their 2 years in the program, ACE-IT in College students enroll as VCU students, take academic courses, and engage in competitive, integrated employment. ACE-IT graduates receive a certificate of completion from the VCU School of Education. To learn more about the Certificate of Completion from the VCU School of Education, please visit the ACE-IT in College Undergraduate Certificate page.

We would like to acknowledge that this program runs in effort with many partners, such as Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Virginia Commonwealth University’s ACE-IT in College Program receives partial funding from the VDOE, contract #881-APE62524-H027A190107.

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Mission Statement

ACE-IT in College is a School of Education certificate program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) dedicated to the academic and career success of its students. The program is designed to support students with intellectual disability wanting to attend college as a pathway to obtaining competitive integrated employment and self-determined futures. The program strives to provide each student with individualized support so that ACE-IT in College students can actively engage in real-world learning through inclusive VCU employment, academic coursework, and campus activities.