More than 200 colleges and universities are eligible to receive federal funding designated for institutions with large numbers of Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander students this year, but the majority are not applying.
Just 32 of 192 eligible institutions received this funding last year, according to a report from the Postsecondary National Policy Institute.
Experts say a lack of knowledge about the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–serving institutions, or the federal designation AANAPISI—it formally became the newest of the 11 minority-serving institution designations in 2007—and its competitive nature contribute to this disparity.
But perhaps the biggest barrier to accessing AANAPISI grants is in the bureaucratic process of distributing funds for minority-serving institutions, or MSIs, which puts some restrictions on institutions that qualify for multiple designations.
That’s because, as colleges serve an increasingly diverse population of students, many AANAPISIs are also eligible to apply for money earmarked for other MSI categories. In many cases, federal policy prevents a college from claiming money for both designations at the same time. And since AANAPISI is the newest and one of the least-funded designations, college leaders are more likely to apply for money under one of the more well-known, better-funded MSI designations.
To be eligible for AANAPISI funding, at least 10 percent of a college’s student body must be Asian American, Native American or Pacific Islander, according to federal guidelines.
“Because institutions are faced with choosing one grant over another, we fear that Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students will continue to be left behind in the higher ed student equity and student success agenda,” said Rowena M. Tomaneng, president of San José City College and head of the board of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher…
Read the full article here