IEP VS 504

IEP vs 504

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1975) is a federal law that governs all special education services in the United States. IDEA provides some federal funding to state and local education agencies to guarantee special education and related services for those students who meet the criteria for eligibility in a number of distinct categories of disability, each of which has its own criteria. 

In contrast, Section 504 is a civil rights statute (Rehabilitation act of 1973) , rather than a federal, programmatic statute; and thus, the federal government does not provide additional funding for students identified. Section 504 requires that schools, public or private, who receive federal financial assistance for educational purposes, not discriminate against children with “handicaps” (i.e., disabilities). Schools must provide these students with reasonable accommodations comparable to those provided to their peers under the rulings of Section 504. Although not a financing statute, Section 504 does provide for enforcement of the mandate. 

The basic difference between an IEP and a 504 plan can be summed up in one sentence: both plans provide for accommodations, but only an IEP provides for specialized instruction for students in grades K–12, while a 504 plan can serve students at both the K–12 and college levels.