ASAP College Completion Coalition Learning Community

SHEEO is partnering with the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) Accelerate, Complete, and Engage (ACE) National Replication Collaborative to establish and launch a new learning community among state higher education leaders to replicate the CUNY ASAP|ACE model at scale to increase college completion rates within their community college sectors. Five states have been selected for $50,000 planning grants to facilitate their participation in the inaugural learning community.

A key objective of this project is to work with states to address racial equity gaps in attainment rates (with a focus on Black and Latinx students) through strategic scaling of the ASAP model. Chosen states will move through a year-long engagement including intensive technical assistance from SHEEO and the ASAP|ACE National Replication Collaborative at CUNY. Learning community events will take place between August 2023-June 2024.

 

Participating States

  • Colorado
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Michigan
  • Washington

 

What the ASAP|ACE model looks like
The ASAP|ACE model was established by the City University of New York (CUNY) system in 2007, and was designed to break down barriers to degree completion, particularly for CUNY’s low-income students. CUNY ASAP students receive comprehensive support, including:

  • full tuition and fee benefits
  • other financial incentives like textbook support and MetroCards
  • wraparound services like intensive, relational advising protocol
  • an emphasis on facilitating student inclusion/belonging
  • a sophisticated data management infrastructure that encourages student progression and timely completion

These wraparound supports have served more than 88,000 CUNY students and the approach has been shown to more than double graduation rates for ASAP students over comparison groups in nearly every evaluation completed on the program.

 

Upcoming Events

November 13, 2024, 3-4 p.m. Eastern – Register Here
Lessons Learned from the SHEEO-CUNY ASAP Learning Community

Join us for the webinar “Lessons Learned from the SHEEO-CUNY ASAP Learning Community,” where we’ll explore key insights and strategies from five states that attempted to scale the CUNY ASAP model in their unique circumstances. Discover how states like Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Washington navigated challenges in funding, sustainability, and alignment with state priorities to enhance college completion rates. This session will provide valuable takeaways for higher education leaders and policymakers interested in replicating proven student success models in their own contexts.

Following the webinar, advocates are invited to pop into this virtual room to join an informal discussion on effective advocacy strategies for ASAP|ACE replication as interested.

 

Past Events
  • August 2024 SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference Concurrent SessionFind the PowerPoint here.
  • May 2024 Webinar on Centering Students: #CollegeCompletionASAP Success Stories
  • April 2024 Investing in #CollegeCompletionASAP – A Funder Forum Webinar – Find the PowerPoint from that webinar here.
  • January 2024 SUNY Replication Feature Webinar – Learn more
  • December 2023 CUNY ASAP Replication Nuts & Bolts Webinar – Learn more
  • November 2023 New York City Convening – Find the PowerPoint from that convening here.

 

Background and Project Details

SHEEO|ASAP College Completion Coalition Learning Community Memo, includes information on:

  • CUNY ASAP background information
  • Planned Learning Community Activities
  • Eligibility information
  • Project timeline
  • Expected deliverables
  • Selection Process