Postsecondary Program

The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) offers post-
secondary programs and services to qualifying adult, state residents who are:

Located in Upstate South Carolina, SCSDB is surrounded by a rapidly growing business and industrial area encompassing the I-85 corridor from Greenville, SC to Charlotte, NC. A low unemployment rate and increasing job opportunities make the Upstate the ideal location for on-the-job training.

While preparing for competitive employment, students enjoy a college atmosphere with apartment-style dormitories, independent lifestyles and access to technology. The State's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and Commission for the Blind work in cooperation with SCSDB to provide student transition and job placement services.

A statewide Advisory Committee, encompassing businesses and supporting agencies, advises SCSDB’s professional faculty and staff on curriculum content and work skills required for employment in a wide variety of fields. Partnerships with business, industry and state agencies maximize job training and placement opportunities.

Vocational training programs are typically one or two years in length and lead to a certificate of completion of the required course work. Students develop portfolios designed to demonstrate their skills to prospective employers. Training areas include: Student working in computer class

* Building Maintenance
* Digital Arts
* Food Service
* Forklift Truck Driving
* Horticulture Technology
* Information Systems Technology (Computers)
* Therapeutic Massage (through Spartanburg Technical College)

Support courses are offered to all students to help them achieve independence
and employability, including:

Cooperative Program with Spartanburg Technical College
A unique, cooperative program between SCSDB and Spartanburg Technical College (STC) allows students from throughout South Carolina to choose from a wide range of postsecondary programs while receiving residential and support services from SCSDB. Students can earn an Associate Degree, Diploma or Certificate from more than 60 programs of study at Spartanburg Technical College.

SCSDB staff in the Office of Student Disability Services at Spartanburg Technical College provide specialized support services including interpreters, note takers, reader/writers, tutoring, and assistive technology.
Cooperative Program students may reside in Smith Hall, the adult apartments on the SCSDB campus, and may participate in the student activities of both campuses.

Applicants must be able to meet the admission requirements for SCSDB and Spartanburg Technical College for entry into this program. This program was recognized in 1999 as a national model program by the National Transition Alliance for Youth with Disabilities.

Smith Hall Adult Living Center
Postsecondary students who choose residential life at SCSDB enjoy a safe environment with 24-hour security. Smith Hall, the adult living center, was renovated in 1996-97 and offers the comfort and convenience of spacious, on-campus apartments as well as access to SCSDB's dining facilities. Smith Hall is equipped with assistive devices for individuals who are physically disabled, deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or sensory multidisabled.

Smith Hall contains public areas with televisions, washers and dryers, a pool table, telephones/TTYs and computers with Internet and e-mail access. Each adult student will have an e-mail account to use the latest in information technology. Student activities are planned for adult students through the Student Activities Committee.

Transportation
SCSDB offers an extensive statewide and local transportation system to postsecondary students on a space-available basis. Postsecondary students may also have their own cars on campus. For students in the Cooperative Program with Spartanburg Technical College, free transportation between SCSDB's Smith Hall and Spartanburg Technical College is provided daily.

Career Development/Placement
Through SCSDB's Postsecondary Programs, students receive training in completing applications, writing effective resumes and interviewing for jobs. Job coaches and transition staff assist the students and the appropriate rehabilitation agencies in setting up interviews for potential job placement near the communities in which students choose to live.

Health Services
Postsecondary students are responsible for attending to their own medical needs and physician care. This requirement is aided through Independent Living Skills training for adult students.

The Health Center at SCSDB is staffed by medical personnel who are able to assist in providing health services information and referral.

Fees and Financial Assistance
Funds from the following sources may be available to postsecondary students:

2006-07 POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM FEES
SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND
(Effective August 1, 2006)

Cost Time Frame
I. SCSDB Adult Training Program
Classroom Training, SCSDB $1,025 per semester
or
ISDC Training, SCSDB $1,025 per semester
Above fees include daily lunch meal.
II. Housing
All postsecondary students are responsible for their own housing, rent, utilities, and cable TV. Postsecondary students are encouraged to reside in the Cedar Springs Town Homes next to the SCSDB campus.

III. (Optional) Meal Plan
1 dinner daily at SCSDB $300 per semester
(Cooperative Program - STC students only)
IV. (Optional) Transportation Plans
Daily transportation to and from
SCSDB and Spartanburg Tech $500 per semester
Note: There will be no charge for adult SCSDB or Spartanburg Tech students to ride SCSDB buses on Fridays and Sundays to their home communities.

Terms and Conditions:
All fees are due in full no later than 30 days after the beginning of classes each semester. If the student is being supported by the SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department, the SC Commission for the Blind, or other source, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the counselor and request confirmation (in writing) of their counselor’s intent to pay including the amount to be paid each semester. The portion unpaid by the supporting agency must be paid by the student/family no later than 30 days after the beginning of each semester. Semesters begin on 8/14/06 and 1/3/07 in the 2006-07 school year.

Cooperative Program - Spartanburg Technical College students should refer to the
college catalog for 2006-07 tuition & fees, which are paid directly to the college.

Information on application process, current fees and financial assistance may be obtained by calling the phone number below or through email..