Alternate Rate Schedule and Community Access Policy
To ensure that high-quality educational document review, records organization, and meeting support remain accessible to our community's most vulnerable students, a limited number of community access slots are maintained each month. These slots are reserved specifically for families participating in public assistance programs or navigating significant life transitions.
Please review the eligibility guidelines, alternate rates, and waitlist procedures below.
Fee Exception Slots and Alternate Rates
A rate of $25.00 per hour applies to all standard consultative services, records reviews, and virtual meeting preparation for families who meet one or more of the following criteria:
The family currently receives Section 8 housing assistance.
The family currently receives Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits.
The family currently receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The family currently receives Cash Assistance from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A rate of $0.00 per hour applies to all standard consultative services, records reviews, and virtual meeting preparation for families who meet one or more of the following criteria:
The family is currently experiencing homelessness.
The family is currently receiving formal Refugee or Immigrant Assistance.
The student with a disability is currently in Foster Care placement.
The student with a disability is currently identified as an adjudicated youth.
Monthly Capacity and Waitlist Policy
Because intensive educational document review and data tracking require significant time and focused administrative attention, these reduced-fee and fee-exempt slots are strictly subject to monthly capacity limits.
Current Status: Community access slots are currently OPEN.
When maximum alloted slots has been reached:
Additional clients qualifying for the alternative rate schedule cannot be accepted for immediate placement at that time.
Waitlist Procedure: If your family meets the criteria for an alternate rate or fee exception slot, you are encouraged to request placement on the community access waitlist. Binders and intake information will be held chronologically, and families will be contacted immediately as active slots open up upon the completion of current cases.
Alternative Free Resources: If your family requires immediate, no-cost special education advocacy or support and cannot wait for an open slot, please contact state-funded or non-profit organizations directly, such as the PEAL Center or Achieva.
To request placement on the Fee Exception Waitlist or to submit documentation for an alternate rate slot, please contact brandiepayne@apexiep.com with your name, contact information, and a brief description of your immediate school-related timeline-DO NOT relay any confidental information at this time, a secured link will be sent to you for document submission.
Website Disclaimer
Apex Special Education Advocacy provides information about special education advocacy and IDEA-related support services. It is not a law firm, and no content on this site is intended to be legal advice, legal representation, or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney. In Pennsylvania, non-attorneys do not offer legal services or hold themselves out as authorized to practice law. Any services offered in Pennsylvania are limited to advocacy support, education-related consulting, document review, record organization, meeting preparation, and other assistance permitted by applicable law.
Rules governing non-attorney participation in IDEA due process matters vary by state. Some states may permit a broader non-attorney role in special education proceedings than others. Because these rules are jurisdiction-specific, any hearing-related assistance is subject to the law of the state in which the matter is pending.
Help may be available to families in Pennsylvania and in other states, but the scope of non-attorney assistance depends on state law, agency practice, and applicable unauthorized-practice-of-law rules. If you would like to know what type of advocacy support may be available in your state, please send a message for a state-specific response.
Important Notice & Legal Disclaimer
These services are educational and advocacy-support only. They do not constitute legal advice, legal representation, psychotherapy, diagnosis, medical advice, or crisis intervention.
I am not an attorney licensed to practice law. Parents remain the sole legal decision-makers regarding their child’s educational programming and all communications with the school district. My consulting services are designed to support and assist parents in executing their own administrative and educational efforts. If legal representation is needed, families should consult a licensed attorney. If a child is in immediate danger or experiencing a medical, physical, or behavioral crisis, contact emergency services or an appropriately licensed professional immediatel
Use of this website, submission of a contact form, or sending a message does not create an attorney-client relationship.