Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Day Celebration at the University of Houston

Date: September 26, 2024
Time: 11 AM – 2 PM
Location: Student Centers Plaza

Be a part of University of Houston history and join us for the inaugural AANAPISI Day CelebrASIAN, a vibrant event dedicated to celebrating the university’s federal designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). UH is proud to be one of the 200+ universities to have this designation in the United States. Come to the Student Centers Plaza to learn about the impact of AANAPISIs and why they matter, share your experiences, network with peers and student organizations, get a few swag items, and enjoy a day of cultural enrichment, learning, and fun.

The U.S. Congress established the AANAPISI program on September 27, 2007, through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The program's goal is to improve the quality and availability of postsecondary education programs for Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander (AANAPI) students, as well as low-income students.

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) play a unique role in supporting low-income, first generation AANAPI students. As federally designated Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), AANAPISIs strive to cultivate environments that promote the success of underserved APIDA students by attending to their distinct needs.

To be designated as an AANAPISI and receive federal grants, an accredited institution must meet certain requirements:

• At least 10% of its full-time undergraduate students must identify as AANAPI
• At least half of its degree-seeking students must be low-income

The University of Houston was designated as an AANAPISI in 2016-2017. The University of Houston (UH) currently enrolls approximately 46,700 students who form a highly diverse student population (33.2% Hispanic, 22% Asian-American, 20% Caucasian, 10.9% African-American,9.4% International, 2.9% Multiracial, 0.1% Native American and 0.1% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander), many of whom are First Generation in College. As a federally designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, UH recognizes its opportunity and responsibility to train at the highest level possible for the next generation of the workforce.

This event is open to all UH students, faculty, staff, and community members.