College Life

Are you headed to college? That’s great news! Just like you’ve done before, you should contact your new school to talk about CF. Most schools have a center or office just to help with things like this.

Adjusting to college is different for everyone. Figuring out how you fit in with a new group of people might be challenging. It may even seem like your family is doing fine without you, and that can make you uncomfortable or sad.

It’s normal to feel homesick, too. Calling, writing letters or emailing your family and friends is a good way to deal with these feelings. If you have a roommate, they might be going through the same feelings and talking it through with them can be a big help.

If you don’t have a roommate – or don’t connect with yours – you should be able to find friends in other places. Try joining clubs or talking with people in your dorm or classes.

You’ll be faced with a lot of changes at college, but one thing will stay the same: Sticking with your CF treatment as prescribed by your doctor is still as important as ever. If your college is far from home, find the CF Care Center that’s closest to campus. You may also need to change from pediatric to adult care, too. With all these changes, keeping in touch with a CF Care Team will be extra helpful. They’ll be able to help you through it all, so make the time to get to know your new CF Care Team.

You may also qualify for a CF specific scholarship. Check out these links and see if any are a good fit for you:

• Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship Foundation

• US Department of Education — Federal Student Aid

• Elizabeth Nash Foundation — CF Research, Scholarships & Patient Support

You may need a little extra help keeping up with school. It is possible that the plan you worked out with your high school might not translate directly to your college. For instance, Section 504 requires public schools to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) through regular or special education and other services. This means that your elementary, middle and high schools were required meet your needs in the same way that they would meet any other student’s needs.

However, a college is only required to provide appropriate academic adjustments to ensure that it does not discriminate on the basis of CF. Be sure to learn more about your rights and responsibilities to make sure you get the most out of your college experience.

As of the time that this website was developed, the above guidelines were accurate, but you should always check with the U.S. Department of Education to make sure that you have up-to-date information.