Introduction
Community colleges offer a pathway to the middle class for low-income students. Although access to college has expanded, graduation rates at community colleges remain low, especially for students who need developmental courses in math, reading, or writing. Many reforms have been found to help students in the short term, but few have substantially boosted college completion. The City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is a comprehensive, long-term program to help more students graduate and help them graduate faster.
Overview
ASAP requires students to attend college full time, encourages them to take developmental courses early, and to graduate within three years. ASAP provides an adviser with a small caseload, as well as enhanced career services and tutoring. ASAP offers linked courses for the first year and a seminar for the first few semesters, covering topics such as goal setting and study skills. The program provides a tuition waiver to fill the gap between financial aid and college tuition.
This report presents results from a random assignment study of ASAP at three CUNY community colleges. Key findings include:
- ASAP was well implemented. The program provided students with a wide array of services over a three-year period and effectively communicated requirements and other messages.
- ASAP substantially improved students’ academic outcomes, almost doubling graduation rates. On average, students earned 48 credits in three years, nine credits more than control group students. By the end of the study period, 40% of the program group had received a degree, compared with 22% of the control group.
- At the three-year point, the cost per degree was lower in ASAP than for the control group, despite the substantial investment required to operate the program.
ASAP’s effects are the largest MDRC has found in its evaluations of community college reforms. The model offers a promising strategy to accelerate credit accumulation and increase graduation rates.