Portland State Lands Another $7.9 Million Federal Grant, Extending Its ACCE Transfer Program to a Fourth Community College
Portland State University in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, announced on its website on October 12 that it has landed a $7.9 million grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), a program of the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Labor, extending its ACCE transfer student program. The new award brings total federal funding directed to the program to nearly $16 million.
ACCE, short for Access, Connect, Complete, Engage, launched in 2024 and provides wraparound services to students who want to transfer from area community colleges to Portland State to pursue a four-year degree: students work with academic coaches while still at their community college, then continue with a dedicated coach at Portland State, alongside financial support, data sharing and coordinated transfer pathways. According to the program page, ACCE has served more than 800 students, a strong majority of them first-generation college students.
The partnership grows with this grant: what began in 2024 with Clackamas and Mt. Hood Community Colleges, and later added Portland Community College, now adds Chemeketa Community College. Each partner community college will receive funding for a half-time career coaching position.
The grant also establishes a new Work-Based Learning Fund to help students access paid internships, projects, apprenticeships and other career-connected experiences. Students will begin exploring careers and developing career plans while still at community college, with clear program-level transfer and career maps connecting community college coursework to Portland State degrees and employment; the university will also fund a dedicated career counselor and a role devoted to employer partnerships.
Portland State University official announcement
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 波特兰州立大学校园（资料图）。CC BY 4.0，Gary Halvorson／俄勒冈州档案馆，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Portland State University campus (file photo). CC BY 4.0, by Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives, via Wikimedia Commons.
