Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund awards $42,500 in new scholarships to Cal State East Bay
- January 23, 2015
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) recently awarded $42,500 in new scholarships to 14 Cal State East Bay students. These $2,500 and $5,000 scholarships at CSUEB are the first awards made to the university through the APIASF. The new scholarships open an additional pathway to success for Asian American and Pacific Islander students (AAPI) and complement the campus services available to them through CSUEB’s Student Service Operation for Success program (Project SSOS).
To qualify for the APIASF scholarship program, a university must first be designated as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). These institutions must support at least 10 percent or more Asian American or Pacific Islander students, with at least half of them having significant financial need. At CSUEB, roughly 25 percent of the undergraduate student body are of Asian American or Pacific Islander backgrounds. Roughly half of them have applied for student loans through the Pell grant program.
AANAPISIs are critical sites for serving low-income AAPI students and supporting degree attainment. In addition to providing scholarships, the AANAPISI program helps to provide academic services, expand institutional capacity and mobilize local resources to help foster economic development. At CSUEB, for example, Project SSOS boosts admission accessibility and career success for AAPI students by offering such services as tutoring, mentoring, workshops, scholarships and leadership courses.
The Student Service Operation for Success program at CSUEB has emerged as a leader among AANAPISIs in efforts to recognize the achievements of AAPI students. “The APIASF-AANAPISI Scholarship has mobilized resources to create opportunities for CSUEB students to access, complete and succeed after postsecondary education,” said Professor Meiling Wu, Project SSOS program director and principal investigator. “We are very pleased to share with our campus the outstanding work of our students.”
In addition to academic services, the APIASF/AANAPISI Scholarship program and its campus partners provide opportunities for scholars to attend welcome events, connect with campus leaders and attend the annual APIASF Higher Education Summit in Washington, D.C. The summit event spotlights the unique educational experiences of AAPI students and lets APIASF Scholars participate in the national education discussion with an eye toward bringing positive change to their communities.
Cal State East Bay is dedicated to helping Asian American and Pacific Islander students succeed academically and after graduation. Providing them with a new avenue for financial assistance makes that goal possible, noted President Leroy M. Morishita. “The APIASF Scholarships increase access to resources, education and graduation for Cal State East Bay students,” said Morishita. “We are thrilled and grateful to APIASF for providing this valuable investment in our students' success.”