Frequently Asked Questions about Participating in Project CAT-SI

You may have some questions about the Collaboration and Assistive Technology for Students with Sensory Impairments (CAT-SI) Project. Here are answers to some of the more common questions. If you have others, please email Gabriella Davis at .

How long does the program take?

The program is designed to be completed within two and a half years, taking 1-2 classes a semester, including some summer courses. Cohort 2 will begin in January of 2018 and finish May of 2020. Students in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program in Cohort 2 will begin in the summer 1 semester of 2018; instead of spring, they will still complete their program in spring 2020. Scholars with previous coursework in their chosen program may be able to complete their program in a shorter amount of time.

What’s included in the scholarship?

All tuition, fees, books, materials, and required travel are covered as part of the scholarship. You are responsible for the TTU application fee, fees to request transcripts, and any non-required travel. Depending on where you do your internship, there may be some additional costs related to the internship experience.

What are the requirements for being accepted into one of the sensory impairment programs?

  1. You must already be a teacher with a general or special education certification or licensure in your state. Idaho applicants to the TVI or D/HH programs must be certified special educators not just general educators.
  2. You must have a Bachelor’s Degree since all of the courses taken as part of Project CAT-SI are at the graduate level and can count toward a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Project CAT-SI will only cover the graduate courses related to your certification: Teacher of students with Visual Impairments (TVI), Orientation and Mobility (O&M), or Teacher of Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) or TTU Graduate Certificate program: Teacher of students with Deafblindness (DB). You would be responsible for paying for any remaining courses towards a Master’s Degree in Special Education.
  3. You will need to have the appropriate computer and internet connection necessary for taking online courses (see minimum requirements below).
  4. You must commit to completing the program on the established timeline for the program in which you participate.
  5. You must commit to working with students with disabilities for at least two years, for each year of scholarship funding received, after completion of the program, using your new certification. See https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Regulation/ProgramRegs2006 for federal service obligation requirements. Each semester counts as 6 months of service obligation time, four semesters is a full academic year and amounts to two years of service obligation time.

Why did my classmate get an email from you, but I didn’t?

Check your official TTU email regularly. Once accepted to the University, you will be provided with a TTU email address. Unless you have a qualified disability that prevents you from using the TTU mail system, all correspondence between you and instructors or Texas Tech staff must use your official TTU email address.

Are all my classes online?

Two of the O&M classes are in-person, face-to-face courses and require students to live in Lubbock for 4 to 5 weeks during a summer session. All other classes are online, although there are some courses that will require a weekend trip to Lubbock or Austin for a face-to-face meeting. These in-person classes will generally start on a Friday night for the first class, requiring students to arrive early on Friday. Classes usually end in time for students to fly home Sunday evening, but depending on flight schedules, some students may have to fly home on Monday. All hotels and travel are paid for by the scholarship, but you need to be aware that depending on flight schedules, you may need to take time off work, arrange child care, or other arrangements for being out of town for a few days.

What kind of computer do I need?

While you don’t need the newest and most expensive computer available, you do need to have a computer less than 4 years old. This will help ensure that the speed of your computer will be able to handle the multimedia some of your courses will require. The following information assumes you have a Windows computer. If you have a Mac, you may have difficulty with some of the software required in a couple of the courses, although we are working to make everything easily accessible from either a PC or Mac.

You should have Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 on a PC computer. Vista is acceptable but not recommended. You also need to have Microsoft Office, or at least Microsoft Word for all of your online courses as this is generally the only accepted format for papers. If you do not have Microsoft Office, Office 365 is available to all students as a free download once they are accepted into the university.

Also, many people are tempted to complete their coursework on tablets such as an iPad or Kindle Fire. They are wonderful, but they do not have the right software to run all the programs, such as Blackboard, that you will need for online classes. They also are unable to efficiently edit documents like a computer can. An Apple device will be needed to complete coursework in your Assistive Technology course, but if you do not have a device, one will be loaned to you through the grant.

What kind of Internet connection do I need?

This is one of the most important components of being able to access your courses. Because of the video, audio, and live video conferencing required in some courses, a high speed internet connection is required.

Where can I find more information about the programs?

On the Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities’ website at: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/education/outreach-and-research/sowell/. Here you will find detailed information about each program, other scholarships offered, upcoming events, course schedules, book lists, and more. It will be a useful tool before and during your program to stay apprised of events at the College of Education.

What happens if I don’t complete the program?

If you fail to complete at least a year of training under the grant then you will be unable to pay back your funding through service. Repayment directly will begin under OSEP for any accumulated funds to date and you will be exited as a non-completer. If you have completed at least one year of training under the grant before you leave then you are eligible to repay the grant funding back through service, even if you did not complete the full program. For the complete set of guidelines see https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Regulation/ProgramRegs2006 for federal service obligation requirements.