504 plans are legal documents that outline specific accommodations and support students with disabilities, ensuring every student has equal access to education. These accommodations include extra time on assignments and tests, a flash pass that excuses oneself from class and preferential seating.

Although 504s are necessary for the majority of students who have them, it has become evident that there are a series of issues that come with them. Not only are they too easily attainable in areas with more money and not as accessible for students living in poorer areas, but both parents and students are taking advantage of the system.

It costs a hefty price to get a learning disability diagnosis. According to the New York Post, parents can pay thousands of dollars to have their child evaluated; if unsuccessful, they’ll most likely try again with a different psychologist. Because testing is so expensive, poorer areas of the country statistically have fewer students with accommodations. The National Education Policy Center said that across the country, high school students on 504 plans make up three percent of enrollment, but in the wealthiest districts, the percentage is closer to six percent. They also said that a majority of students on 504 plans are white (65%). This presents a clear equity issue, given that twice as many students in wealthier areas have resources to boost their academic success.

The number of students with 504 plans has gone up significantly across the country. A Manhattan academic and professor at Sarah Lawrence College who closely follows this issue said that more and more people are claiming to have disabilities, with anxiety being the most popular. Parents know that most 504 plans come with extra time on assignments — including tests and college entrance exams. There is a strong possibility that these parents have ulterior motives in getting their child diagnosed.

I strongly believe that 504s can also be a loophole for students to take advantage of testing accommodations. For instance, if given extended time on a test a student begins in their second period and plans to finish during lunch, they would have already seen the test and had time to find the answers to the questions they didn’t know. This is inequitable for students without accommodations who worked hard to score well. It is crucial to ensure that these accommodations are provided only to those who will use them honestly to maintain a fair testing environment.

Despite my argument, students still need accommodations. I am not against 504 plans; I simply believe that a different approach should be taken to make the educational system truly equal, and the intentions of students and parents should be evaluated. Rather than requiring “qualifications” to be eligible or spending thousands of dollars just to get a diagnosis, Forbes Magazine said that they think it should be the educator’s job to decide how to ensure a student’s learning happens. Whether that entails one-on-one student-teacher meetings to determine what the student actually needs or the implementation of individualized learning plans, there must be another system.