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
- Register now – Investing in #CollegeCompletionASAP – A Funder Forum Webinar
Monday, April 22, 2024, from 3-4 p.m. Eastern
Featured speakers:
- Kelly McManus, Vice President of Higher Education, Arnold Ventures
- Clare McCann, Director of Higher Education, Arnold Ventures
As part of community college month, funders and other college completion advocates are invited to join the five state teams from CO, MI, NJ, NC, and WA who are participating in the SHEEO|ASAP college completion coalition learning community for a funder forum webinar. This program will feature insights from long-time funders of CUNY ASAP|ACE at Arnold Ventures, brief updates on national scaling of the ASAP|ACE model through the SHEEO|ASAP collaboration and beyond, and discussion on the critical need to invest in community colleges, particularly evidence-based community college completion programs like CUNY ASAP|ACE.
Past Events
- 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
