APIASF is the largest nonprofit scholarship provider to Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders. We focus on low-income students who are first in their families to attend college, underrepresented in higher education and committed to community service. We work to mobilize resources and create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education, fostering a generation of future leaders who will excel in their careers & serve as role models in their communities.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the Asian American & Pacific Islander community is one of the fastest growing populations and is projected to reach nearly 40 million by 2050. While data reveals that AAPI students will experience a 35 percent increase in college enrollment in the next decade, college access and completion remains a challenge for many marginalized AAPI communities. In fact, 50-60 percent of some AAPIs have never enrolled in college with nearly half attending community colleges.
APIASF understands that there are many misperceptions that exist regarding the AAPI community, with perhaps the most detrimental being that all AAPIs are well educated and financially successful. APIASF is working to dispel these myths, mobilize resources and create opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education, fostering a generation of future leaders who will excel in their careers and serve as role models in their communities.
Our programs respond to a need to increase the proportion of Americans with post-secondary credentials to meet the growing needs and changing demands of a global economy. With a college degree, an underserved AAPI's lifetime income increases by more than $1 million which can uplift communities and lower poverty rates. APIASF also collaborates with institutions which serve AAPIs and the surrounding communities to expand institutional capacity and foster economic development.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
