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Nicholas Pentecost, who has autism, is finishing his second year at Mott Community College in Michigan. Oregon students with disabilities got the green light this week to qualify for federal financial aid if they earned a modified high school diploma.

(Sean Ryan/The Flint Journal)

Oregon students with disabilities who've earned

were declared eligible for

this week, reversing an earlier ruling that blocked aid for more than 1,700 recent Oregon high school graduates, Oregon

announced Thursday.

The ruling, confirmed by Oregon Department of Education communications director Crystal Greene, means students who have earned or will earn modified or extended diplomas sanctioned by the state of Oregon can get federal aid to attend community colleges, universities or culinary or other trade schools, Gelser said.

"It's like the happiest day of my life," said Gelser, a longtime advocate for students with disabilities.

Federal financial aid law changed in July 2012,

from federal financial aid.

Since then, legions of Oregon parents, students, policymakers and leaders have complained it makes no sense to prevent students with disabilities who clear every hurdle to earn a state-approved special education diploma from receiving the same financial assistance as any other high school graduate to attend college classes.

But Oregon Department of Education officials said they had no leeway,

that only students with regular diplomas are eligible for aid.

The breakthrough came earlier this month when Gelser and a staffer for

met with top officials from

and

, Gelser said.

The Oregon officials brought thick stacks of documents, including the rules showing that students who earn modified Oregon diplomas follow a prescribed course of study matching state academic standards and letters of support from scores of parents plus Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and Chief Education Officer Nancy Golden.

The Oregon advocates expected they'd have a tough fight convincing federal agency, Gelser explained. But they didn't.

"I expected it would take an Act of Congress," she said.

Instead, she said, sympathetic federal officials said it is largely up to states to determine what they consider a genuine diploma -- and Oregon clearly showed that its modified diploma is a state-approved credential requiring a completed course of study aligned to Oregon's high school academic standards.

"It's amazing what can happen" when officials seemingly at odds meet face-to-face to seek solutions, Gelser said.

Oregon students who earn or have earned modified diplomas can check the box on their federal financial aid application indicating they have earned a high school diploma, Gelser said.

"It felt like an iron door" was preventing Oregon high school graduates with significant disabilities from accessing federal aid, she said. "Now that door does not exist."

-- Betsy Hammond

betsyhammond@oregonian.com