Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is the federal office responsible for overseeing programs that support students with disabilities, providing guidance to families and monitoring states for compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states must annually submit student data and annual plans and apply each year for federal special education funding to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to demonstrate compliance with the law.

There are approximately 7.5 million children with disabilities in the United States who are eligible for special education services, and federal special education funding overseen by OSERS is on the order of roughly $15 billion.