CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
Program basics
- Provides comprehensive services to full-time community college students to promote completion within 3 years and ultimate successful transition to work or 4-year college
- Key features include intensive advising, tutoring, and counseling, alongside tuition waivers, funds to support textbooks and MTA cards, and priority class scheduling
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Proven (highest tier)
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Proven (highest tier)
Ranked as having the highest level of evidence by the U.S. Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse, Social Program That Work
Target population
Students enrolled in post-secondary education
Program cost
$3,440 per student per year
Implementation locations
- New York City, with model replications in Ohio, California, Tennessee, and West Virginia
Dates active
2007-Present
Outcomes and impact
- Nearly doubled 3-year graduation rate
- Higher rates of credits earned, developmental requirements completed, and enrollment in 4-year colleges
Keys to successful implementation
- Adopt the ASAP model in full – the program components are designed to be mutually-reinforcing. Review CUNY ASAP’s overview of its model, structure, and replication strategies, especially when it comes to early-stage planning considerations.
- Partner closely with college and community leadership, including mapping out a long-term plan for program sustainability.
- Invest in the upfront costs necessary for program success, especially dedicated college staff delivering support and programming, along with a data management system to fully track implementation and outcomes.
- Recruit and engage students early – both through campus-based recruitment efforts and through partner institutions, such as community-based organizations, high schools, and GED/HSE programs.
- Provide comprehensive and personalized advisement with relatively small caseloads for each advisor (no more than 150 students).
- Set clear, ambitious graduation goals – at least 50% of program participants within three years or doubling the current graduation rate.
- Use performance data to regularly evaluate program effectiveness in areas such as enrollment, student engagement with program services, credit accumulation, and graduation rates.
