Michigan Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS): Eligibility, Referral, and the MRS-4.0b Form

The Easiest Door Into Vocational Rehabilitation

Most families hear "Michigan Rehabilitation Services" and picture the full vocational rehabilitation process — eligibility determinations, waiting lists, Order of Selection. Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) skips all of that. It's a federally mandated early-access tier available to any student with a disability between ages 14 and 26 who is enrolled in an educational program, and it does not require a formal MRS eligibility determination to get started.

Pre-ETS exists because Congress recognized that waiting until senior year to connect students with VR was too late. The earlier a student with an IEP starts exploring work and building job-readiness skills, the stronger their transition outcomes. Michigan delivers Pre-ETS through regional MRS offices, and in some areas through contracted community rehabilitation organizations.

The Five Core Pre-ETS Services

Federal law defines exactly five categories of Pre-ETS. Michigan MRS delivers all five:

Job exploration counseling. Career interest assessments, labor market research, workplace visits, and individualized conversations about what kinds of work align with the student's strengths and goals.

Work-based learning experiences. Internships, job shadowing, on-the-job training, and community service placements — real exposure to competitive work settings, not simulated classroom activities.

Postsecondary education counseling. Help exploring community colleges, trade programs, certificate programs, and four-year institutions. Includes guidance on disability accommodations under the ADA and Section 504 at the college level.

Workplace readiness training. Soft skills — communicating with supervisors, managing a schedule, understanding workplace expectations, financial literacy, and using transportation independently.

Self-advocacy instruction. Teaching students to understand their own disability, communicate their needs, request accommodations, and make informed decisions about their services and goals.

Who Qualifies

Pre-ETS eligibility is broader than most families expect:

• Students with an IEP qualify
• Students with a 504 plan qualify
• Students with a documented disability diagnosis but no IEP or 504 also qualify
• Age range: 14 through 26 (matching Michigan's extended MMSE eligibility)
• Must be enrolled in a secondary or postsecondary educational program

The student does not need to open a full MRS vocational rehabilitation case. Pre-ETS cases are flexible, low-barrier, and can be initiated with a simple school referral.

How to Get Started: The School Verification Form (MRS-4.0b)

The gateway document is the School Verification of Student with a Disability form — currently designated MRS-4.0b (revised 2/2025). This one-page form is completed and signed by school personnel, the parent or guardian (for students under 18), and the student. It certifies three things:

1. The student is currently enrolled in an educational program
2. The student has a documented disability (the form asks for the current IEP or 504 plan to be attached)
3. The student wants to participate in Pre-ETS

The completed form goes to the regional MRS office. From there, MRS assigns a transition counselor who coordinates with the school's special education team to determine which Pre-ETS services fit the student's transition goals.

You can request the MRS-4.0b through your child's special education teacher, transition coordinator, or directly from your regional MRS office. Some ISDs keep blank copies on hand.

Pre-ETS vs. Full VR: When to Upgrade

Pre-ETS is the on-ramp. When a student is ready for intensive, individualized employment services — a specific job goal, funding for career-technical training, assistive technology, or sustained job coaching — they need to apply for a full VR case with MRS.

The recommended timing: begin the full VR application during 11th grade, or at least one full year before the student's expected school exit date. This matters because MRS operates under a federally mandated Order of Selection — when demand outstrips capacity, individuals with the most significant disabilities are served first, and everyone else joins a waiting list. An early application gives your child the best chance of being assigned a counselor and having an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) ready before they leave school.

Students who are blind or visually impaired access parallel Pre-ETS and VR services through the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) rather than MRS. BSBP provides specialized assistive technology training, orientation and mobility instruction, and braille literacy alongside the standard five Pre-ETS services.

What to Push for in the IEP

Pre-ETS and the IEP transition plan should reinforce each other. At the annual IEP meeting where transition is discussed, ask:

• Has the school completed and submitted the MRS-4.0b form?
• Which of the five Pre-ETS services align with the student's measurable postsecondary goals?
• Is there a schedule for work-based learning experiences this year?
• Has the IEP team obtained parental consent to invite the MRS transition counselor to the next IEP meeting?

If the school hasn't initiated a Pre-ETS referral and your child is 14 or older, you can request it in writing. The school is required to coordinate transition planning with outside agencies when consent is given.

The Michigan IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a Pre-ETS referral timeline, the MRS-4.0b walkthrough, and the full sequence for upgrading from Pre-ETS to a formal VR case before school exit.

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