Vocational Independence Program FAQs

1. How are students funded for the program? VIP students receive funds from a variety of different sources. Approximately 25 percent of the students are funded through either IEP transition plans, which are paid through local school districts or by state offices of disability. Many families take out TERI continuing education loans to pay for the program’s expenses. Most families pay for the tuition out of pocket. Occasionally, some scholarship monies become available, but this is based upon donations, which can vary from year to year.
2. What are the backgrounds of your staff? The philosophy of VIP is that no one profession can assist students with special needs, so we have incorporated a multidisciplinary approach for the program. Consequently, our staff members have degrees in fields such as education, special education, instructional technology, English, counseling, school counseling, social work, psychology, nursing, anthropology, and human relations, to name a few. Most have master’s degrees in their fields or are in the process of obtaining a master’s degree.
3. What is the ratio of students to staff? It is approximately two students for every one staff member, including our residential staff.
4. What are the resident advisors’ backgrounds and training? The resident advisors are NYIT undergraduate upperclassmen and graduate students who are earning degrees in a variety of fields such as medicine, physical therapy, culinary arts, engineering, etc. They have been trained to deal with young adults with special needs, including courses in: working with students with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders; basic counseling skills; crisis management; community development and social programming; CPR; first aid; and the use of automatic external defibrillator devices.
5. What is the supervision like in the residence halls? We are a college-based vocational and independent living skills program. Consequently, the supervision is similar to that of any college residence hall. Our resident advisors are on duty from 5 to 11 p.m. in the resident advisor office during the week days, and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. During the week, our director of residential life and medical director are in the building to provide supervision. There are two head resident advisors, 17 resident advisors, a director of residential life, and a medical director in the residence halls.
6. What security precautions can I expect? NYIT provides 24-hour security officers seven days a week, 365 days a year. Each dormitory has swipe card access, which means only VIP students are able to access the doors. Each student has his or her own room key.
7. What vocational areas are offered? VIP offers vocational training in six areas: childcare; elder care; clerical/computer skills; culinary; retail; and hotel hospitality. VIP also works with the Board of Cooperative Education Services, where students can earn certificates in fields such as Cisco Systems, small animal care, carpentry, cosmetology, etc.
8. Will I have a roommate? Generally, freshmen and sophomores do not have roommates. However, by their junior year, most students are expected to have a roommate. This is intentionally structured into the curriculum, and our rationale is that most of our graduates do not live alone after they leave VIP. Most live with a roommate. The junior year provides students with the opportunity to learn to live with another person and vet a potential future roommate. Approximately 100 graduates live near the Central Islip site.
9. What kinds of recreational activities are there for the students? On campus, there is a Student Activities Center, which houses a gymnasium, two fitness rooms, a game room, and a swimming pool. In the basement of our dorm, we have two fitness rooms featuring Nautilus™ and StarTrack™ fitness equipment. There are a number of television lounges in the residence halls, and we have pool, ping pong, and air hockey tables. During the week our students may take advantage of our nine-hole golf course for free. There are also volleyball and tennis courts as well as softball and soccer fields. Weekends include regularly scheduled trips to local attractions such as shopping malls, movies, restaurants, and NYIT sporting events. Each resident advisor sponsors two recreational/educational events per semester. On Wednesdays, leisure electives are run by the staff and include golf, walking club, movies, War Hammer™ or Dungeons and Dragons™, art , karaoke, sports, and swimming. Offerings vary each semester depending upon student interest. Two Friday nights a month, the students congregate in our coffee house for live bands and karaoke. We also offer trips to New York City to visit museums, and to attend Broadway plays and professional sporting events. Travel opportunities during vacations have included Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, California, Florida, Italy, Spain, France, England, and Ireland. These annual trips are chaperoned by VIP staff.
10. What is Track II and how do I qualify for it? Track II is a program for our more academically suited students. The students, who take credit-bearing classes at New York Institute of Technology’s Old Westbury campus, may select any courses from the NYIT undergraduate catalog. VIP provides transportation to Old Westbury and additional academic support. There are a number of ways students qualify for Track II:

• If the applicant scores an 18 on the ACT or an 850 on the combined verbal and mathematical reasoning subsections of the SAT.
• If an applicant provides us with a copy of a college transcript that demonstrates successful completion of credit-bearing courses.
• During our placement process we assess the student’s ability to advocate for ADA accommodations and writing level. If the student is able to articulate his or her need for reasonable accommodations and can write at a college level.
• After being a part of VIP for a length of time, if the faculty feels a student is not sufficiently challenged, the faculty will recommend placement into Track II.