This Program Found A Way To Boost Community College Graduation Rates

While access to higher education has increased dramatically over the past few decades, community college graduation rates continue to be problematic. That’s why educational institutions like the City University of New York are taking big steps to implement a solution.

Launched in 2007, CUNY’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs offers additional support to community college students with the goal of helping them maintain full-time enrollment status and graduate on time. Lashawn Richburg-Hayes, director of MDRC, a nonprofit education and social policy research organization, joined HuffPost Live host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani to discuss why ASAP has experienced widespread success thus far.

“What’s really phenomenal about the ASAP program is that many of the components that comprise the program are readily available at most community colleges,” Richburg-Hayes said. “What ASAP has done is really taken a strong implementation approach, integrated those services, and put in place some requirements for students so that it’s both an opportunity and a requirement in order to access the funds in the program.”

Watch the full HuffPost Live clip above to hear more about the ASAP program.