A decade ago, Bowling Green State University recognized a gap in higher education.
Students with learning differences like ADHD and executive function challenges weren’t being given the tools to help them navigate college.
Bowling Green changed that, becoming one of the few universities in the country to develop a program tailored to support neurodiverse students.
The Falcon Learning Your Way, or FLY program, has grown significantly over the past 10 years, supporting a record 343 students in Fall 2025 – underscoring the demand for individualized support at the university level.
“By recognizing that traditional academic support wasn’t enough for students with ADHD and other learning differences, we built a community designed to help them thrive,” said Travis Brown, Ph.D., BGSU FLY program director. “With the right tools and consistent support, students can transition to college with confidence and overcome challenges along the way.
“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing our FLY students realize their full potential and achieve their goals because they have support tailored to how they learn best.”
The FLY program began in Fall 2016 with 18 students, tripled participation in just three years and reached a milestone of 100 students in six years.
The growth has continued, with nearly 600 students enrolled since the program's inception. About 90% of students remain in the program during their second year, and 43% continue in the program longer.
One of the most unique facets of Bowling Green’s nationally recognized FLY program is that students meet with the same learning specialist once a week throughout the program, which Brown said provides a level of consistency that is integral to student success.
The learning specialists work with students on time management, organizational skills, learning strategies, self-advocacy and various other skills designed to help them become independent learners.
In addition to weekly meetings with a learning specialist, students receive priority access to tutoring services for first and second-year classes, as well as math and writing.
Most importantly, the FLY program provides students with the confidence to know that college is a place where they can succeed.
“Our goal is to equip students with strategies they can use in college and carry with them into their careers,” Brown said. “Over time, they begin to see themselves as capable, independent learners who truly belong.”
