My son, with ADHD, has been trying to meet all graduation requirements for his bachelor’s degree. The college he attended did not modify any requirements for him, nor did they modify any coursework for him.
He has met all graduation requirements but one. His grade point average is .129 below that of the graduation mark. Is there anything he can do to secure a modification of that requirement?
Thank you for your expertise and help.
I am reluctant to provide an overly broad response to your question, as there may be important details that could impact his position. It is unclear from your question whether he has previously made a formal request for accommodations, with appropriate documentation of his disability and need for accommodations, and been denied, or if he has not formally requested accommodations and the issue is coming up for the first time now.
If he requested accommodations and was denied, he may have legal arguments relating to the failure to provide the accommodations contributing to his lower performance and resulting lower grade point average. However, there are timelines that govern how much time can pass within which one can file complaints for failure to provide reasonable accommodations.
If he did not request accommodations until now, it would be difficult to argue, at this point, that the GPA requirement should be modified, when he did not seek accommodations earlier or avail himself of accommodations that might have allowed him to achieve higher grades. In general, it is difficult to obtain modifications of a GPA requirement for graduation.
He should consult the school’s disability services office, review the school’s disability policy, and consider consulting with a lawyer knowledgeable about higher education disability law issues. He also has the option of using the college’s ADA grievance procedure or filing a complaint for disability discrimination with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.