Our WorkEquityLifting Up Communities Historically Underserved by EducationAsian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Student Achievement ProgramAANHPI Student Achievement Program FAQs

AANHPI Student Achievement Program FAQs

About the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Student Achievement Program

Principle: All efforts are in development and are subject to change pending partner engagement, time frame adjustments, and meaningful application.

  • September 2019: Dr. Timothy Fong expressed concerns about the potential loss of federal grant funding for MSI
  • March 2021: The Atlanta Spa Shooting escalated the need for California and the United States to act, leading to the Stop AAPI Hate Movement. This led the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) to engage in conversations about statewide funding for anti-hate initiatives including higher education
  • July 2021: The API Equity Budget was included in the CaliforniaFY 2022-2023 state budget, allocating funds to CAPIAA to form a higher education equity workgroup to address the needs of AANHPI students
  • January – June 2022: CAPIAA, with the support of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education’s (APAHE) leadership, initiated and advocated for the California AANHPI Student Achievement Program proposal
  • May 2022: The Campaign for College Opportunity published a report highlighting the need to invest in AANHPI students
  • June 2022: Governor Newsom and the California State Legislature passed the state budget and approved CAPIAA’s budget proposal to create the California AANHPI Student Achievement Program. The program provides $8M for both California Community Colleges and California State Universities; a total of $16M ongoing funding to serve low-income, first-generation AANHPI students. Added Sections 79510-79511 (CCC) and 89297 (CSU) to the California Education Code to legislate the California AANHPI Student Achievement Program

Email us at AANHPISAP@foundationccc.org.

Complete the Interest Form.

Eligibility for AANHPI Student Achievement Program Funding

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office (Chancellor’s Office) conducted research on colleges that would be identified as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program (AANAPISI) serving. This led to initially identifying seven colleges. Further research was conducted by contacting the U.S. Department of Education’s AANAPISI department, where 40 California community colleges were identified as eligible. Selected colleges were identified as currently holding an open AANAPISI grant under AANAPISI-A/AANAPISI-F programs and/or meet the Title III definition of an AANAPISI in Fiscal Year 2022. After further research, a total of 43 colleges were identified as eligible for AANHPI Student Achievement Program funding. Our program will continue to identify additional colleges that are eligible for this funding.

Funds will be sent to the local County Controller’s Office, which is then sent to respective California Community College districts, and then disbursed to eligible colleges. The first set of funds, totaling $150,697 per college, were sent on June 5, 2023. We encourage colleges to communicate with their district office to determine the location of funds.

Funds

Colleges will have two years to spend the initial $150,697. Updates on the funding amount and cycle will be forthcoming.

The initial Chancellor’s Office memorandum for AANHPI Student Achievement Program indicated 40 colleges, which was then shortly adjusted to 43 in a subsequent email announcement from the Central Office. 

The amount of funds announced in the Chancellor’s Office memorandum in the compendium was originally for 40 colleges. However, the cohort has been updated to 43 colleges. There is a pending change to the memorandum that will state the correct amount per college, $150,697.

AANHPI Student Achievement Program funds are ongoing. How funds will be allocated over time is to be determined, along with an RFA process. As of July 2023, our team can acknowledge that adjustments to the fund may be made, pending the addition of more colleges as we update the AANHPI Student Achievement Program Eligibility Criteria. More information is forthcoming and will be announced soon.

General Use Of Funds

AANHPI Student Achievement Program funds are designed to support AANAPISI-aligned efforts, and develop strategies for historically underserved populations in California. 

Requires use in services or projects in alignment with AANAPISI grant and: 

  1. Culturally responsive learning communities
  2. Advising and counseling services
  3. Mental health counseling and awareness services
  4. Career development, career readiness, and employment services
  5. Supplemental instruction and tutoring, such as English language development and support
  6. Asian American, Pacific Islander studies courses and curriculum development
  7. Leadership development, internships, and mentorships

Colleges’ Use of Funds shall fit the intention of the Education Code Section 79510 (CCC) and shall align with the listed A-G services and projects.

For any specific questions, please do not hesitate to email us at AANHPISAP@foundationccc.org.

Use of funds shall fit the intention of the Education Code Section 79510 (CCC) and shall align with the listed A-G services and projects.

Use of Funds shall fall in line with the principles of Reasonable and Justifiable, and Ultimate responsibility. “Reasonable” means expenditures are prudent and every effort is made to utilize funds efficiently. “Justifiable” means expenditures are consistent with goals and activities related to the AANHPI Student Achievement Program. Colleges and districts are ultimately responsible for expenditure decisions; responsibilities cannot be delegated. Colleges are strongly urged to develop policies and procedures to document and justify program expenditures.

In addition, the Chancellor’s Office has identified the following non-allowable expenditures:

  1. Gifts: Public funds may not be used for gifts or monetary awards of any kind. Expenditures for a public purpose are not considered a gift of public funds. 
  2. Stipends for students — funds cannot be used to pay stipends to students for participation in program or classroom activities.
  3. Political Contributions. 
  4. Courses: Funds may not be used to pay for the delivery of courses that generate FTES. An exception to this is that funds may be used to supplement instructional support courses that do not receive apportionment funding that covers expenses incurred by these courses. 
  5. Supplanting: Any funds spent on these programs should supplement, not replace, general or state categorical (restricted) district funds expended on similar program activities prior to the availability of program funding. This restriction applies to categorical programs and any other federal, state, and county programs. Supplanting rules do not apply to expenditures previously paid for by BSI, SE or SSSP.

These will be local decisions. Colleges shall use the funding on expenditures that align with the Education Code Section 79510 (CCC) and related program expenditure guidelines. Ultimate responsibility of fund expenditures falls to the community college. Please be aware that expenditures will be reported to the Chancellor’s Office through reporting in development.

We leave this to the discretion of the local college, as long as the college’s decision meets the intention of the Education Code Section 79510 (CCC).

Reporting

Principle: The Reporting Tools are in development and are subject to change. We will involve all partners in the development of these tools to ensure alignment. The 43 colleges will be required to submit an assurance plan upon receiving the first round of funding.

The specific requirements are in development. We are going to work with our colleges on developing the reporting criteria. Once criteria is developed, we will then be able to request how the colleges have spent their funding.

Yes! Our intention is to ensure advocacy for related AANHPI efforts and interests statewide, including but not limited to, disaggregated data and tracking.

Miscellaneous

No. The AANAPISI Grant is a federally funded program, while this AANHPI Student Achievement Program is an ongoing state allocation by the State of California. AANHPI Student Achievement Program funds are designed to support colleges in AANAPISI-aligned efforts and develop strategies for historically underserved populations in California. For your college to receive AANAPISI designation and funding, please review the federal requirements

Basic Needs​

Support for Specific Populations​