{"id":50378,"date":"2026-08-27T10:09:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T15:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/?p=50378"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:11:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T15:11:30","slug":"bsu-creates-new-opportunities-for-inclusive-accessible-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/27\/bsu-creates-new-opportunities-for-inclusive-accessible-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"BSU Creates New Opportunities for Inclusive, Accessible Higher Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bemidji State University is expanding access to higher education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities as one of three recipients of an Inclusive Higher Education Grant<\/i><\/a> from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.<\/p>\n

The grant will support the launch of the university’s UBelong@BemidjiState initiative, which will provide opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to experience university life as fully participating members of the campus community while pursuing individualized academic, career and personal goals. It will be the first such program on a four-year university campus in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

Rather than creating a separate educational pathway, BSU’s initiative will integrate students into the existing university experience. Students will enroll in inclusive courses alongside their peers while receiving individualized support through person-centered planning, peer mentoring, academic advising, career development, campus engagement and employment experiences. The initiative emphasizes self-determination, independence, meaningful relationships and preparation for competitive integrated employment.<\/p>\n

During the 2026–27 academic year, the university will prepare for its first cohort through focus on program development, faculty and peer mentor training, community partnerships and student recruitment. BSU will also seek Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary program approval from the U.S. Department of Education, which will expand financial aid opportunities for participants.<\/p>\n

“This initiative reflects what higher education should be—accessible, welcoming and built on the belief that every student has strengths, talents and aspirations worth investing in,” said Dr. Sherry K. Holloway<\/a>, assistant professor of human performance, sport and health and the initiative’s director. “UBelong@BemidjiState is about creating opportunities for students to learn, build relationships, develop career skills and become active members of our university community. We are not creating a separate experience; we are creating opportunities for students to belong.”<\/p>\n

The initiative was developed through collaboration across Bemidji State University, bringing together Academic Affairs, Student Success, Accessibility Services, Financial Aid, Residential Life, Career Services, the American Indian Resource Center, faculty, students, families and community partners. This collaborative model ensures students receive coordinated support while fully participating in campus life.<\/p>\n

“Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve the same opportunities to pursue higher education, build meaningful careers and experience campus life as any other student,” Holloway said. “Our goal is to remove barriers while building a community where every student is recognized for their strengths, contributions and potential.”<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Legislature established the Inclusive Higher Education Grant Program in 2023 to expand access to postsecondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Following a competitive statewide review process, BSU was selected as the first four-year public institution in Minnesota to receive funding through the initiative.<\/p>\n

The initial award will support program development and implementation. Pending successful implementation and continued legislative support, the initiative has the potential to receive up to $1 million over 10 years, creating a sustainable model for inclusive higher education in northern Minnesota.<\/p>\n

“As UBelong@BemidjiState grows, Bemidji State University hopes to serve as a regional leader in inclusive postsecondary education by creating pathways that connect education, employment, community engagement and lifelong belonging for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Holloway said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

State grant helps BSU build first-of-its-kind program supporting students with intellectual, developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":50379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3,977,872,25,980,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-faculty-news","category-homepage","category-people","category-strategic-plan","category-top-story"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50380,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50378\/revisions\/50380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}