Prospective UP Students & Families

We love that you are interested in taking your next step towards a meaningful, inclusive college experience! So, what comes next to make that happen?

Step One: Make sure you are a qualified applicant

Consideration for admission to the UP Program is given to those who meet the following admission requirements:

  • Age 18-25 at the time of admission with a documented intellectual disability (IQ ~70 or lower)
  • Have been enrolled in a high school special education program (such as the Occupational Course of Study or Certificate of Completion) that does not allow students to complete requirements necessary for standard admission to ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½
  • Demonstrates communication skills adequate to interact with others on the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ campus
  • Demonstrates socially acceptable behavior that will allow a favorable experience on the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ campus
  • Demonstrates ability to be unsupervised overnight and manage own medications (including over the counter)
  • Adequately motivated to learn and benefit from participation in the UP Program
  • Expresses interest in living and working as independently as possible in their community with paid employment at or above minimum wage, working 20 or more hours per week, after completing the UP Program and supported by parents and families to do so
  • Full support from parents and families to engage in the UP Program and support the requirements above

Step Two: Attend Open House

Upcoming Open House Dates: October 31st, 2026  |  November 14th, 2026  |  March 6th, 2027  |  April 3rd, 2027

Attending open house is a requirement as part of our application process, so you will want to plan ahead! Please go to ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Open House and register for the date that works best for you. Once you have completed that online registration, please complete this so we know you will be attending with us for the UP Program. If you have further questions about Open House events or Admission deadlines, please email us at wcuupprogram@gmail.com.

The best part? It is never too early to come check us out! Even if college is still a couple years away for you, we encourage you to still attend and learn more!

 

Step Three: Gather Application Materials

Applications are completed online and have several supplemental items that need uploaded, some that can take a while to get. Please see the current to know what you need to gather. **Tip: If you are still in high school, be sure to request an updated psychological evaluation during your senior year. Even if college is not your next step, you will need it wherever you go!**

 

Step Four: Wait for Applications to Open

We currently anticipate our Fall 2027 application to open at the beginning of August. Make sure that you are on our mailing list by completing this if you have not already. We will be sure to send out updates once applications are open! 

 

Common Application Questions & Answers

 
Making sure that you have a motivation for attending college, have been taking on different responsibilities at home and in the community, are comfortable spending time away from family overnight, and taking on different work and volunteer experiences are some of the best ways to prepare. 
An individualized service plan is often created with a service provider (such as Medicaid services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other therapies). Not every applicant will have one. However, if you do, it allows the steering committee to see a bigger picture of you as an applicant and where your strengths are. In addition, since we partner with a lot of these providers, it aids in helping speed up that process to receive services on campus if you are selected as a UP student. 

No. As long as you are able to communicate your needs in a way that works for you and we can have an open relationship with the guardian working alongside the program, these are not a concern. 

 All application are reviewed and ranked by the UP Program Steering Committee. This committee comprises several on and off campus partners, including the following individuals:

  • Administration Representative from the College of Education and Allied Professions
  • Employers who have worked with UP students
  • Former parents of UP Program graduates
  • Medicaid Service Agency partners
  • Representatives from Accessibility Resources
  • Representatives of Continuing Education and Summer Programs
  • Representatives of Residential Living
  • Representatives from Tutoring and Student Success Centers
  • Representatives of Undergraduate Admission
  • UP Program Staff
  • ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Director of Financial Aid
  • ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Faculty that have taught UP students
  • ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Undergraduate or Graduate Student
We believe that you truly need to visit Cullowhee to get a real feel for if this is the place for you. Many people love this area, the campus size, and all that the mountains have to offer, but some people do prefer the city life instead. Attending Open House also allows you to get a deeper look into the program, more questions answered about the program, and a chance to talk one-on-one with students and parents. We also will go ahead and take care of the video interview requirement for the application while you are here. 
Once online applications close, UP staff organize all applications and screen them to ensure all materials are present and the candidate qualifies based on the requirements above. All qualified applications are then presented to the steering committee for review and ranking. The top applications are then invited to campus for an overnight multi-day experience to really try on college and make sure it is a good fit. After that experience, final decisions are made based on feedback given from our partners who interacted with the applicant during the experience.
As much as we would love to meet with everyone like this, we are unable to with our small office team and other obligations. This is why we get open house dates out early so you can plan to attend. You are always welcome to attend a general campus tour by registering through the admissions office at any time.