Media Release: Regional Challenge Grant opens Request for Letters of Interest

Additional funding from Washington State allows WSAC’s Regional Challenge Grant program to increase investment in a new cohort of place-based partnerships

January 9, 2024

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) has announced a new round of funding available for Regional Challenge Grants (RCG). Following the selection in 2022 of an initial eight partnerships, WSAC will invest in up to six additional regional partnerships working to increase postsecondary credential attainment to 70 percent in Washington. Grant amounts may range from $50,000 to $450,000 depending on the structure of a partnership and the activities proposed.

The new funding cycle is now open, with Letters of Interest due by midnight, Feb. 16, 2024. Information sessions will take place on January 17th and February 8th. 

WSAC believes that community-based collaborations have the greatest potential to impact students. These collaborations can accurately identify and implement local strategies that are responsive to their community members’ needs and assets. The combined investment of state dollars and local resources offers regional partnerships much-needed capacity to shape student outcomes from a position of deep community knowledge and trust.

WSAC built the RCG program with a $6 million initial investment from Senate Bill 5789 (RCW 28B.120.060). An additional $16 million appropriation was approved in the 2023-2025 Washington State biennium budget. The program allocated more than $4.8 million in its first cycle and is built upon WSAC’s engagement with regional community leaders who understand their local context and can best influence the culture surrounding the value of a postsecondary credential. In total, more than 150 organizations have engaged with RCG since 2022.

Learn more about RCG from the 2023 Legislative Report, WSAC website, and FAQ.