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SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $70 MILLION IN FED FUNDING FOR ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY’S NATIONAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF IN JUST-UNVEILED OMNIBUS BILL – PASSAGE IN CONGRESS WOULD SEND LEGISLATION TO PRESIDENT’S DESK


Schumer, Gillibrand Pushed Hard For Funds That Would Help Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing New Yorkers Get Education and Find Jobs

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the Omnibus spending bill – a must-pass bill that funds the federal government through the end of the fiscal year – includes $70 million in funding for Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), which is a much-needed increase of $3 million from last year’s funding level.

NTID provides a college education to deaf and hard-of-hearing students from around the country, and gives them skills and training to find jobs and advance their careers. Federal funding allows NTID to invest in critical areas such as instruction, sign language, and captioning services. With this higher funding level, NTID will be able to increase its grants in aid for students, reducing the costs of receiving a degree, as well as propose new technical programs that would offer specialized training for employment in high-tech industries.

“Rochester’s Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf is nationally recognized as one of the best schools in the country for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The inclusion of this $70 in federal funding will allow the NTID to continue investing in programs that better prepare students for future employment and better equip teachers with the training needed to be successful in the classroom,” said Senator Schumer. “I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress to come together and vote for this bill, so we can send this to the President’s desk and allow the NTID to continue adding to the local economy and creating a brighter future for the thousands of students who walk through its doors each year.”

“This funding would help deaf and hard-of-hearing students continue to receive a phenomenal education at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, ensuring they have the opportunity to achieve their full potential,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The programs at NTID teach critical skills that directly translate to good jobs after graduation, and I am urging my colleagues to pass this bill. This investment would help students around the country, and equip them with the resources they need to learn and succeed.”

“This funding recommendation reflects the tremendous support NTID has from Members of Congress and their continued belief in our primary mission – to give deaf and hard-of-hearing students a stellar technical and professional education that prepares them for the workforce. The persistence, graduation and employment rates of our students prove NTID is a federal investment that works.” said Dr. Gerard Buckley, NTID President and RIT Vice President and Dean.

In Fiscal Year 2014, 94 percent of NTID’s graduates were placed in jobs commensurate with their education level, consistent with NTID’s average employment rate of 93 percent over the last 10 years. Our first-year persistence rates and graduation rates for both sub-baccalaureate students and baccalaureate students continue to be higher than the national rates for students at two-year and four-year colleges. Using data from the Social Security Administration, NTID can show that its graduates over their lifetimes are employed at a much higher rate, earn substantially more, and participate at a much lower rate in government support programs like Social Security Insurance and Social Security Disability Insurance than students who withdraw from NTID or earn degrees from other institutions of higher education.

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