Peer Mentoring Students With Intellectual Disability: Unlocking Hidden Opportunities

Institutions of higher education are supporting more students with intellectual disabilities than ever before, largely due to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) along with changing public policies on inclusive education (Bethune- Dix et al., 2020; Grigal et al., 2021; Sheppard- Jones et al., 2021). Think College is a national initiative committed to developing, expanding, and improving inclusive higher education options for students with intellectual disability and as of 2024, reports that there are more than 360 postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability (Think College, 2025). With more programs offered to support students, the need for institutional support also increases. Some institutions have embraced the use of peer mentoring as a strategic effort to increase retention and engagement for supporting students with disabilities (Dollinger & Hanna, 2025; Hayman et al., 2022; Krisi & Nagar, 2023).