What Is a 504 Plan and How Is It Different From an IEP?

If your child has been struggling in school and someone has mentioned a "504" or an "IEP," you've likely found yourself wading through a lot of education jargon without a clear explanation of what either one actually means or why it matters for your family. Both plans exist to support students with disabilities. Both can include accommodations that apply to Virginia SOL tests. But they are rooted in different laws, cover different situations, and getting one works very differently from getting the other.

This guide is a plain-language overview — not a legal document. If you're navigating a specific situation for your child, you'll want to follow up with your school's special education coordinator or a parent advocate. But if you just need to understand what these terms mean and what questions to ask, this is the right place to start.

The two laws behind these plans

An IEP — Individualized Education Program — is created under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that guarantees students with qualifying disabilities the right to a free, appropriate public education, including specialized instruction designed around their individual needs.

A 504 plan comes from a different law entirely: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 is a civil rights law, not an education law. It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in any program receiving federal funding — which includes every Virginia public school. A 504 plan doesn't guarantee specialized instruction; it ensures equal access.

This distinction — specialized instruction vs. equal access — is the most important difference between the two. It determines which students qualify for which plan and what the school is actually required to provide.

What an IEP covers

To qualify for an IEP, a student must have a qualifying disability under one of the IDEA categories (specific learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, speech or language impairment, emotional disability, intellectual disability, other health impairment, and others) and that disability must require specialized instruction to be addressed. Both conditions have to be true.

An IEP is a comprehensive legal document that specifies the specialized services the school will provide: small-group reading instruction, occupational therapy, speech therapy, resource room support, and so on. It also documents accommodations — changes to how learning is delivered — and sets measurable annual goals for the student. IEPs are reviewed at least once a year, and parents must consent to the plan before it takes effect.

ADHD, dyslexia, and anxiety can all qualify a student for an IEP — but only if the school's evaluation team determines that specialized instruction is necessary. A student with mild ADHD who can access the curriculum with accommodations alone may not qualify for an IEP under this standard, even if the diagnosis is real and well-documented.

What a 504 plan covers

A 504 plan is for students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity — including learning, reading, concentrating, or communicating — but who don't require specialized instruction to access their education. The eligibility bar is different from IDEA's: broader in some ways (more diagnoses qualify), narrower in others (no specialized instruction is provided).

A 504 plan typically documents accommodations only. Extended time on tests and assignments, preferential seating near the front of the room, directions given in written form, reduced homework volume, breaks as needed, fidget tools, and text-to-speech are all common 504 accommodations. The school is not required to provide additional instruction — just to remove barriers so the student can access the same curriculum as everyone else.

Unlike an IEP, a 504 plan is not a federal document with a prescribed format. Virginia schools typically create a written plan, but the law doesn't specify what it must look like. This means 504 plans can vary quite a bit from school to school — which is one reason it's important to ask for everything in writing and to review the plan carefully.

How to request one in Virginia

Either a parent or the school can initiate a request for either type of plan. You do not need a private diagnosis to request an evaluation — the school is required to evaluate if there is reason to believe a disability may be affecting your child's education.

For an IEP: put your request for a special education evaluation in writing and deliver it to your school principal or the school's special education coordinator. In Virginia, the school has 65 business days from receiving your written request to complete the evaluation and hold an eligibility meeting — unless you agree in writing to an extension.

For a 504: contact the school counselor, principal, or 504 coordinator directly. The process is less formal and the timeline is shorter, though Virginia schools are still required to evaluate in a timely manner. Document your request in writing and follow up if you don't hear back within two weeks.

Which accommodations apply to SOL tests

Virginia allows both IEP and 504 accommodations on SOL tests — but only accommodations that are specifically approved by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and that are documented in the student's current plan.

VDOE-approved SOL testing accommodations include: extended time (1.5× or 2×), text-to-speech (read aloud), calculator use, breaks as needed, enlarged print, a reduced-distraction testing room, and having directions read aloud. These are the accommodations that appear most frequently in IEPs and 504 plans for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and anxiety.

There is a critical rule that many parents don't know: an accommodation must be regularly used in classroom assessments to be allowed on the SOL. If text-to-speech is listed in your child's plan but they've never actually used it during class tests, VDOE may not allow it on the SOL. Make sure any accommodation that will be needed on test day is actually being used — and documented as used — in the classroom throughout the year.

What to ask for at the eligibility or review meeting

Whether you're attending your child's first IEP or 504 meeting or a routine annual review, there are a few questions worth asking specifically about SOL test day.

Ask whether each accommodation in the plan is VDOE-approved for SOL testing. Ask whether it is being used regularly in classroom assessments — and if not, ask the team to start using it now so it's documented before spring testing. Ask whether there are accommodations your child uses at home or informally that should be added to the plan.

If your child uses text-to-speech at home while doing homework, that's worth flagging. If they regularly take longer than the allotted time on assignments, extended time should be documented. The accommodation has to be in the plan and in use before the school can apply it on test day — there is no emergency add the week before the SOL.

Practice at home with the same accommodations

One of the most practical things families can do is make sure test prep at home mirrors what a child's actual SOL experience will look like. A child who uses text-to-speech at school but practices at home without it isn't building familiarity with their real test conditions. When the accommodation feels automatic and familiar, it reduces cognitive load on test day instead of adding it.

SolPrep includes every major VDOE-approved accommodation as a simple toggle: text-to-speech, dyslexia-friendly font (OpenDyslexic), bionic reading, high contrast, extended time (no timer), step-by-step hints, and reduced distractions. Parents set accommodations once per child profile, and they apply automatically to every practice session. The platform uses real VDOE released test questions for grades 3–8 and is completely free.

If you're still figuring out which accommodations your child needs, SolPrep is a good place to try them out at low stakes — before the school meeting, before the test. Turn on text-to-speech for one session and see if it helps. Enable the dyslexia font and watch how your child reacts. You'll come to the IEP or 504 meeting with real information about what your child actually benefits from.

Start practicing with the accommodations your child needs

Whether your child has an IEP, a 504 plan, or you're still figuring things out, they deserve to practice for the Virginia SOL the way they'll actually take it — with the same supports that help them learn. SolPrep is free, requires no credit card, and is built specifically for Virginia students who learn differently.

Start practicing free at SolPrep — set up a child profile, enable their accommodations, and let them work through real VDOE questions at their own pace.