Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) Program Director Cecilia Marshall recognized nine Richland College student recipients of APIASF scholarships during a reception on April 24 hosted by Richland College and sponsored by the Walmart Foundation.

In welcoming APIASF’s representatives, student recipients, community and college faculty and staff, Richland College President Kathryn K. Eggleston thanked the generous donors who support APIASF and Richland College’s partnership toward developing future leaders who excel in their careers, serving as role models in their communities and contributing to a more vibrant America.

Dr. Eggleston cited the growing Dallas County Asian and refugee population and credited the “partnership with APIASF in advancing Richland College’s goals to promote access and achieve equity for students who otherwise would not have this important opportunity to realize their educational goals.”

The scholarships are the result of Richland College's partnership with APIASF. Richland College is the only U.S. Department of Education-designated Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) in Texas, and one of nine U.S. higher education institutions chosen by the APIASF to participate in the AANAPISI Scholarship Program.

Asian American students comprise 14 percent of Richland College’s student enrollment. With at least half of these students demonstrating financial need, the APIASF Scholarships and the AANAPISI funding positively impacts many of Richland College’s historically underserved students.