The "Higher Education Opportunities for Students with Disabilities Act" aims to provide inclusive educational opportunities for students with disabilities, including those with severe intellectual disabilities, severe autism spectrum disorders, or other severe developmental disabilities. The bill allows students with disabilities who are receiving special education services to have program options such as continuing education, participation in credit and noncredit courses with students without disabilities, and development of independent living and employment skills. The bill also states that participation in higher education under this chapter shall be considered an approved expense as a special education service.

The bill outlines program requirements for students with disabilities attending state institutions of higher education. It states that these students are not required to take standardized college entrance tests, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, meet minimum academic course requirements, meet minimum grade point average requirements, or obtain a passing score on statewide assessment tests in order to participate in undergraduate academic courses, internships, work-based trainings, and extracurricular activities. The bill emphasizes the importance of inclusive educational opportunities and the provision of individual supports and services to support inclusion in academic courses and campus life. Public institutions of higher education are not required to bear the costs of individual supports and services that exceed the kind of supports and services generally provided.