Today there are an extensive number of programs nationwide that provide services and support for deaf and hard of hearing students. More programs being developed today as more and more students are exercising their right to the education of their choice. Deaf and hard of hearing students, as any other student without a disability, can choose between campuses which have smaller student populations or larger colleges and universities where students would find larger number of students with similar interests. Potential postsecondary deaf and hard of hearing students can choose from any of these settings:

MAINSTREAMED PROGRAMS are postsecondary colleges or universities which offer an array of support Disability Services to equalize their access to all courses and college events. All colleges are mandated by law to provide support services for students that apply to their colleges. There may be minimal to maximum services provided without a formal program serving deaf and hard of hearing students. In a school that does not have a formal program, the enrollment of deaf and hard of hearing students is usually smaller than those facilities with formal programs.

FEDERALLY FUNDED MAINSTREAMED CENTERS are programs where a sizeable community of deaf and hard of hearing are enrolled. A specialized program for deaf and hard of hearing students is incorporated into mainstream academic community. There are four (4) federally funded regional centers serving students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Each center serves a regionally divided area of the country. Within each region are affiliated programs for deaf and hard of hearing students. They are as follows:

Northeast Technical Assistance Center (Northeast region)
Rochester Institute of Technology
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
Phone: (716) 475-6700 Voice and TTY

Midwest Technical Assistance Center (Midwest region)
Saint Paul Technical College
235 Marshall
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (612) 221-1337 Voice and TTY

National Center on Deafness (Western region)
California State University at Northridge
18111 Nordoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8267
Phone: (818) 885-2611 Voice and TTY

Postsecondary Education Consortium (Southeastern region)
University of Tennessee-Knoxville
112 Claxton Addition
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: (423) 974-8427 Voice and TTY

FEDERALLY FUNDED COLLEGES / UNIVERSITIES are those that receive direct financial sponsorship from the federal government. There are two federally funded programs are; Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., a liberal arts university, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, New York. These populated schools enroll both national and international deaf and hard of hearing students. Sign language is the preferred mode of communication by students and faculty. These programs are all-inclusive and designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students.