Furthermore, AAPI students in these programs are likelier to obtain those degrees faster than their peers, transfer to four-year institutions and attempt more for-credit courses even before finishing community college.
These are among the findings in a recently released report that explores the effectiveness of federal Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) grants. The awards support retention efforts at colleges and universities where at least 10 percent of students are AAPI and 50 percent are low-income.
This report is among the topics scheduled for discussion at today’s fifth annual higher education summit in Washington, D.C., organized by the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF).
The study—one of the few to focus on two-year institutions—examined the academic progress of students at De Anza College, South Seattle Community College and City College of San Francisco (CCSF). About 34 percent of the latter’s enrollment is AAPI. The three community colleges were among initial recipients of AANAPISI grants when the federal initiative launched in 2008.
Such a grant helped CCSF create a STEM intervention program to increase the transfer rate of AAPI students in calculus-based science majors. The program includes tutoring and study groups, book loans, counselors dedicated especially to the program and internship and research opportunities.
Ironically, the STEM program students’ mean grade point average of 2.97 was worse than the 3.36 mean GPA for the comparison group, but the report’s authors theorize that the lower grades resulted from program participants taking heavier loads—more classes per semester, across four semesters—and more rigorous courses in order to successfully transfer as STEM majors to four-year institutions.
