Dive Brief:

• The three-year graduation rate for community college remedial students enrolled in the City University of New York's Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is nearly double that of their peers, according to a new study.
• The study, by education and social policy research MDRC, showed 40% of the students in the program had received an associate degree within three years of enrollment in community college, compared to 22% of those who did not.
• ASAP requires students to attend community college full-time and provides them with support to make attendance possible.

Dive Insight:

Earlier this year, President Obama proposed making the first two years of community college free and cited the ASAP program as a model. Now, there's evidence the program is succeeding — although it comes with significant upfront costs.

Among the support provided for ASAP enrollees: Tuition is partially or fully waived based on financial need, public transportation and textbooks are provided for free, and the students attend special seminars and classes that are scheduled in blocks.

CUNY expanded the program in 2009 and subsequently commissioned MDRC to conduct the study.