Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) - National Technical ...

EFFECT OF COLLEGE GRADUATION ON REDUCTION IN SSI AND SSDI
PAYMENTS
Recent research in collaboration with the Social
Security Administration and Cornell University
shows the role that the completion of a college
degree plays in reducing dependence on
continuing federal support. These differences exist
for both the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
program and the Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) program. Completing a degree
from RIT/NTID reduces the probability that a deaf
or hard-of-hearing person will collect SSI or SSDI.
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Graduation and Persistence -120-
By age 50, one percent of graduates collected SSI,
while, on average, 19 percent of individuals who
withdrew or have been rejected for admission
continue to participate in the program. This
reduction is especially noteworthy when one
considers that 77.6 percent of students were
receiving SSI benefits at age 19.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Lost Accepts NTID BS Not Admitted Withdrawn ASSOCIATE
Note: From a 2007 collaborative research study conducted with the Social Security Administration and
Cornell University. To accomplish this, NTID forwarded a data file with approximately 13,000 cases to
the Social Security Administration. Six study groups were defined by the degree attainment variable: (1)
Deaf and hard-of-hearing graduates who completed a bachelor’s degree from RIT; (2) Hearing
graduates who completed a bachelor’s degree from RIT (not shown above); (3) Deaf or hard-of-hearing
degree earners from NTID; (4) Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who attended NTID, but withdrew
prior to receiving a degree; (5) Deaf and hard-of-hearing applicants who were accepted to NTID, but
chose not to attend (Lost Accepts); and (6) Deaf and hard-of-hearing applicants to NTID who were
denied admission.
(continued)