WASHINGTON, DC. (WOWO) College campuses across the United States are facing new scrutiny after reports revealed a sharp increase in the number of students claiming disabilities to receive academic accommodations.
According to reporting from Fox News and The Atlantic, more than 20 percent of undergraduate students at institutions including Harvard and Brown are now registered with disability services offices. At Amherst College, that figure approaches one-third of the student population. Reports cited by The Sunday Times suggest nearly 40 percent of students at Stanford University were registered as disabled during one recent academic year.
Education experts interviewed by Fox News Digital said the increase is largely tied to diagnoses such as anxiety, ADHD and dyslexia rather than physical impairments. They say accommodations often include extended test time, exemptions from academic requirements and access to single-occupancy housing.
Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital that the trend risks diverting resources from students with documented disabilities. Other experts cited by Fox News warned that the current system may encourage students to seek diagnoses to gain academic advantages.
The reports also describe students claiming dietary or religious exemptions to opt out of mandatory campus meal plans, according to The Sunday Times.
Stanford University responded to Fox News Digital, saying recent media inquiries prompted a review of its federal disability reporting. The university said earlier figures reflected students who registered with the Office of Accessible Education, not those who ultimately received academic accommodations.
Stanford said that for fall 2025, approximately 12.5 percent of undergraduates received academic accommodations, which the university said is less than half of previously reported figures.
Fox News Digital reported that Harvard and Brown universities were contacted for comment. No response was immediately provided.
Source: Fox News, The Atlantic, The Sunday Times
