About
Aggie ACHIEVE is a four-year comprehensive transition program at Texas A&M University that offers young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities an inclusive college experience. Through academic coursework, internships, and campus life, students build the skills they need for meaningful employment and independent living after graduation.
An Overview
Aggie ACHIEVE at Texas A&M University is a comprehensive transition program (CTP) for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have exited high school. Aggie ACHIEVE provides an inclusive and immersive college education and equips students for employment in the community.
Aggie ACHIEVE aligns coursework, internship opportunities, and extracurricular activities with each student’s academic interests and employment goals. Aggie ACHIEVE is designed to enroll students for up to four years. For the first two years, students reside in Texas A&M residence halls and have access to TAMU coursework and all campus-related activities. During the third and fourth years, students will select off-campus housing with their families. Aggie ACHIEVE staff will continue to provide support for independent living as needed. Students may attend Aggie ACHIEVE for up to four years.
Students will be reviewed annually for continuation in the program. Each year, students will receive a micro-credential for successful completion of the respective year. Successful completion of these micro-credentials will include satisfactory performance in academics, independent living, employment, and social skills. Students who complete all four years of the Aggie ACHIEVE program will graduate with a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University.
Students in ACHIEVE will have access to campus and community life similar to that of their peers on campus. They have the opportunity to:
Learn
Participate in approximately five hours of inclusive TAMU coursework per semester, including courses related to academics, physical education, and orientation to college.
Get Involved
Pursue active membership in clubs and student organizations, and participate in orientation events and campus programs.
Connect
Develop lifelong relationships with faculty, staff, and peers on campus.
The Program
Each student’s program of study are individually designed through a comprehensive, collaborative process called person-centered planning, where each student and their family member(s) meet with a staff member to design individualized goals. Faculty will work with ACHIEVE staff to develop a modified syllabus and an Independent Learning Agreement to set expectations and assignments.
In the first two years, students are introduced to college life through weekly seminars focused on independent living, career awareness, and self-determination. Beginning in the spring of their first year, students will participate in on-campus internships each week to prepare for inclusive employment.
The last two years in Aggie ACHIEVE will focus more on career development and field specialization, including opportunities for off-campus paid internships in a student’s field of interest. Students will have the opportunity to venture off-campus to work in a setting more directly aligned with their chosen field of specialization. In preparation for the final year, students will work closely with the Job Developer to identify relevant, inclusive employment opportunities locally or in their hometown.
Aggie ACHIEVE is housed within the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education and Human Development. Aggie ACHIEVE is also affiliated with the Center on Disability and Development, a nationally recognized University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD).
Aggie ACHIEVE is supported by the U.S. Department of Education as a Comprehensive Transition Program and a Model Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID; 2020-2025).