The Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC) is a state agency that provides handicapped individuals with services designed to assist them in becoming as independent as possible by entering or returning to gainful employment. To be eligible for TRC services, the individual (a) must have a physical or mental disability that constitutes or results in a substantial handicap to employment and (b) may be reasonably expected to benefit, in terms of employment, from vocational rehabilitation services.

Thousands of handicapped college students receive services from the Commission each year. All TRC clients are entitled to diagnostic evaluation, counseling and guidance, career planning, job-development placement, and follow-up. In those cases where economic need can be demonstrated, the following services may be provided to handicapped college students: tuition and required fees, textbooks, physical restoration, and assistive devices. Severely handicapped students may also be eligible for room and board, mobility assistance, note-takers, tutors, and attendant care.

The Rehabilitation Counselor and the student identify intermediate and long-range goals. They determine actions needed to achieve those goals, and they work together to reach them. The ultimate goals are to assist each student in completing his or her college education, in getting a good job after graduation, and in achieving the highest degree of independence possible.