News outlets from around the nation are reporting that the FBI uncovered one of the largest college admission frauds in U.S. history, amounting to nearly $25 million dollars and involving a many rich and famous families. The cheating scandal has embroiled top universities and set off a firestorm of allegation and investigations from criminal to civil suits.

It’s too early to know the full aftermath this scandal will have on admissions processes and standardized testing procedures. I’m concerned that the consequences will be hardest felt by the most vulnerable – students with disabilities requiring testing accommodations. The scam operation was set up by Rick Singer, the owner of Edge College and Career Network, which operated under the name The Key. Up until September 2018, when Mr. Singer became a cooperating witness and informant for the FBI; Mr. singer had boasted working with over 90,000 students over 25 years in college admissions coaching. Singer admitted to helping 761 families get into elite schools using illegal backdoor methods he called “secrets.” It appears that Mr. Singer had a team of other coaches operating under his purview and provided real services, with exception to his illicit admissions activities and bogus non-profit foundations used to launder funds. A sad aspect of this case is that there was a legitimate portion of his business.

Now many students who utilized his authentic coaching services and other similar but separate coaching organizations may be stigmatized for seeking assistance and gaining an “advantage” or “edge.” Like in any profession there are bad actors, Mr. Singer appears to be one of these types of folks who knowingly and brazenly prioritized profits over his ethical responsibilities to his coaching clients. Moreover, his conduct not only casts a shadow over the coaching industry, but it may also result in it hurting the very students he purported to be trying to support. Mainly his actions could negatively impact disadvantaged students from low-income backgrounds and marginalized communities of color, as well as students with learning disabilities.

Mr. Singer’s fraud and illicit conduct will likely make the process of obtaining necessary testing accommodations on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT more challenging to obtain. As someone who accessed accommodations throughout my own academic career, I know first hand how difficult and cumbersome the process can be. I have ADHD and benefited from extended time on test and modified testing environments which limited distractions.

Without these accommodations, I would have performed much worse and been at a disadvantage. The purpose of accommodations such as these are not to give people a competitive edge, but to instead level the playing field. The Americans with Disabilities Act provided students with federally protected rights for qualifying learning disabilities and other recognized physical impairments. For example, the according to College Board (collegeboard.org ) they offer accommodations for disabilities including ADHD, visual impairments, other disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, communication disorders, head injuries, hearing impairments, learning disorders, physical/medical disabilities, psychiatric disorders, and tic disorders/Tourette’s. Accessing these rights is challenging to say the least.

Even if a person received appropriate and needed accommodations throughout their schooling, and has obtained services through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan in grade school, middle school, and/or high school they still need to show current documentation and justify the need for accommodations to the testing boards. The rigorous documentation may include updated neuropsychological testing, letters from physicians/psychiatrists, and supporting documents from school officials. Updated testing is not required if they received prior accommodations and can sufficiently work with their school to document their need for accommodations.

Yet, many children go undiagnosed, fly under the radar, and are not flagged early due to disruptive behaviors or academic difficulties. For these children and teens, an evaluation (i.e., psycho-educational, neuropsychological, psychological, psychiatric, medical, visual, audiological, etc.) can run upwards of 3-4 hours in duration on average and cost more than 1,000-5,000 dollars. The documented disability must be current within the last year.

Many lower-income families do not have the financial means to shell out money for additional psycho-ed testing for their student making the process prohibitive. On top of that, it can take up to 7 weeks for the application for accommodations to be approved by the College Board. The whole process is involved and not straight forward.

Recently in 2017, the College Board agreed to make the process for applying for accommodations more streamlined under mounting pressure from the U.S. Justice Department and disability advocacy groups. Now the progress that has been made could be in danger of being undone. With this college cheating scandal, dubbed “Varsity Blues,” creating turmoil inside and outside of college campuses. Singer’s stands accused of orchestrating and encouraging students to falsely claim they have disabilities to receive additional time on tests. He also exploited the alternative testing environment by arranging his own proctors that had been bribed to doctor results and correct test questions, resulting in unfair advantages for these students.

There will likely be serious blowback on many levels. I fear that students with disabilities will have to follow even more rigorous and convoluted means of verifying their need for accommodations putting an increased burden on parents and families, as well as school SSD officials. I recognize the need for changing the status quo to prevent future admission scams from happening and better safeguards for accessing accommodations. I just hope that the aftermath of this debacle does not punish the students who rely on accommodations and disability services or for that matter affirmative action, and other such programs which have increased access to higher education for many disadvantaged students.

My blood boils to think that a person like Singer would callously use students as pawns to make money in his scheme. Operations like his cast a negative light on the entire educational consulting and coaching industries. I hope parents can not grow disillusioned by this scandal and know that there are helping professionals that are in this for the right reasons and doing good work daily to help students.

For all the students out there considering coaching, tutoring, college counseling, and the like, know that the vast majority of people have your interests at heart. Don’t let the stigma of asking for help prevent you from succeeding because nobody succeeds alone, we all have had help along the way. Get the help you need and request accommodations without shame – that is your right under the law. Let’s not let the actions of one, impinge on the rights of many.