Meet Eric

At 16, Eric was in his junior year of high school. He had cerebral palsy (CP) and so had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) at his school. During high school, his IEP team worked with a counselor from Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services to develop a transition plan that would help prepare him for adulthood. Since Eric wanted to go to college, this team helped him take the necessary steps to succeed academically.

When he turned 18, Eric began to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). By the end of his freshman year of college, Eric was showing a lot of talent with computers and got offered a summer job in his university’s computer department.

Eric had never had a job before, but now had an opportunity to work and make $2,000 per month. However, he worried that his earnings could affect his benefits, so he spoke with a benefits planner who explained that a special SSI rule called the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) would let Eric take the job without losing any of his SSI benefits or Medicaid health coverage.

This article looks at Eric's journey from high school to college to his first job. Keep reading for details about how Eric successfully completed each step, and the help he got along the way.