Students seeking support services for a diagnosed disability must provide recent, objective documentation that verifies eligibility for civil rights protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Eligibility for reasonable accommodations under these statutes requires that the physical or mental impairment currently substantially limits one or more major life activities (e.g., learning, self-care, speaking, hearing, seeing, walking).

Disability Support Services (DSS) guidelines require that the evaluation and documentation be provided by a licensed professional who is not related to the student and is qualified to diagnose and treat the student's particular disability. The documentation must clearly describe the ways in which the disability currently impacts a student's functioning. In many cases, this means that the evaluation must have been completed within three years. However, DSS reserves the right to modify this timeframe depending upon the type of disability. If documentation needs to be updated or if additional documentation is required, the cost of obtaining the required documentation is borne by the student. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan is insufficient documentation, but can be included as part of a more comprehensive assessment battery.