Student Success

Two students sitting on a bench outside of Karl Miller Center. They are facing each other and having a conversation

Access, Complete, Connect, Engage (ACCE) Grant

Project Status: Planning

PSU was awarded $7,823,199 million to fund the Access, Connect, Complete, Engage (ACCE) program in partnership with Clackamas Community College (CCC) and Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) to serve 2,000 transfer students. This approach includes clear transfer pathways, integrated coaching, direct financial aid, and data-driven evaluation. ACCE aims to tackle systemic barriers to academic success for underserved transfer students, reducing disparities in post-secondary outcomes across PSU and partnering community colleges. The program is almost complete with its second year serving students at MHCC, CCC, and now PCC!

Accomplished

  • Onboarded Three New ACCE Coaches: Anthony, Brenna, and Sabrina have finished their onboarding and started meeting with students!
  • PCC Cohort: We got the necessary data-sharing agreement signed, have started stakeholder meetings on PCC campus, and are ready to start serving the first cohort of PCC students!
  • Emergency Funds: We officially launched our ACCE Emergency Fund, which helps students who are experiencing emergencies stay enrolled at their community college or PSU. This term, we awarded 17 students up to $1,000!
  • Number of Students Served: Our program is fulfilling its mission to serve historically underserved students, as demonstrated by the addition of our fourth cohort into our program. We currently have 836 students who are receiving coaching support, including a significant majority of first-generation college students and a strong representation of BIPOC individuals. These demographics confirm our commitment to reaching diverse learners who benefit most from our support.
  • Appointments: Coaches have conducted a total of 450+ coaching sessions this Spring to support students' work towards their transfer to a four-year university and earn their Bachelor’s degrees.
  • Financial Support: $101,250 has been administered to ACCE students throughout the grant lifecycle.
  • PSU Transfer Students: Twelve ACCE students have officially transferred to PSU and 35 more are signed up for Fall 2026 Orientation!
  • Workshops: ACCE coaches partnered with multiple offices, such as SASS, Financial Aid, and Admissions to provide relevant workshops to ACCE students. 

In Progress

  • PCC Cohort: We are preparing to coach our first cohort of PCC students this Summer!
  • Additional Recruitment Launch: Our coaches will execute another recruitment round for additional students to join the ACCE program over the Summer.
  • Sustainability Planning: We've already started building sustainability into the ACCE program by strategically integrating our coaches into existing and new touchpoints. Coaches are not only providing crucial one-on-one coaching to MHCC/CCC students, but they're also actively participating in the following sustainability initiatives:
    • Planning transfer workshops
    • Hosting drop-in transfer advising sessions
    • Engaging with students during orientation
    • Conducting valuable classroom visits
  • This approach lays the groundwork for long-term impact and continued student success, well beyond the grant's conclusion in 2028.

Project Health

  • We are almost complete with the second year of the ACCE grant cycle, and with the addition of future PCC cohorts, we are on track to accomplish our overall mission and vision.

Project Team

Sponsor: The Department of Education 
Project Leads: Andrea Garrity and Randi Harris
Program Director: Delaney Ybarra
ACCE Project Committee: Andrea Garrity, Brittany Montana, Delaney Ybarra, Emanuel Magana, Matthew Carlson, MHCC+CCC partners, Perla Pinedo, Randi Harris, Regina Arellano, Robert Findtner, Shoshana Zeisman-Pereyo
Collaborators: Mount Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College