Pathways for Advancing and Thriving in Higher Education (PATH)

Welcome to PATH, a New York Tech initiative supporting second- and third-year underserved students.

This initiative is funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Postsecondary Student Success Program and supplements the university’s advising and student success services to ensure academic progress and holistic development. The program provides a special opportunity for students to receive extra support designed to help them thrive throughout their college journey.

PATH employs a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) design to compare the impact of PATH’s interventions on treatment students versus the control students. The outcomes of the treatment group will be measured with both qualitative and quantitative methods. The treatment and control groups will be randomly selected, of the same size, and comparable. Those in the treatment group are invited to participate in PATH wholly.  

Program Overview and Eligibility 

PATH is designed to enhance student success and increase persistence and retention, as well as four-year graduation rates. Underserved students are defined as Pell-eligible, first-generation, low-income, and/or students identifying as students of color and/or Native American. For students in the program, PATH will: 

  • Increase the second-to-third-year retention/persistence rate by 5 percent. 
  • Increase the third-to-fourth-year retention/persistence rate by 5 percent.      
  • Increase the four-year graduation rate by 5 percent. 

Activities and Program Components

Proactive and personalized mentorship that empowers students to: 

  • Set and achieve academic and personal goals.
  • Strengthen time management and study habits. 
  • Overcome academic and non-academic barriers. 
  • Receive guidance and advocacy from dedicated coaches. 

An energizing launch to the program where students will: 

  • Meet their Success Coach and peers.
  • Receive PATH swag and school supplies. 
  • Learn about key program components. 
  • Enjoy games, lunch, and icebreakers. 

Coach-led, zero-credit, once-a-week course where the curriculum focuses on: 

  • Advanced skill building. 
  • Career and financial literacy. 
  • Internship and graduation planning. 
  • Academic connections and goal setting. 

Both on- and off-campus opportunities, including: 

  • Guest speakers and workshops. 
  • Museum and theater visits. 
  • Skill-building seminars. 
  • Sports and games activities. 

Quiet and focused spaces staffed by trained peer tutors offering: 

  • Scheduled hours. 
  • Coursework-specific support. 
  • Help with assignment planning and workload management. 

PATH students receive: 

  • Priority registration for classes.
  • Priority access to on-campus employment. 

Contact Us

Have questions? Email us at path@nyit.edu