Beaverton's 13-year investment in a college-access program for first-generation and low-income students has topped $1.2 million and reached more than 620 local students.
Portland Community College (PCC) and the PCC Foundation celebrated the 15th anniversary of Future Connect on Sept. 10 at the Willow Creek Opportunity Center in Washington County. The event drew former students, elected officials and community donors.
Beaverton was one of the program's earliest government backers. In 2013, the city earmarked $100,000 in city funds for Future Connect, according to PCC.
The City of Hillsboro matched that amount. Both grants were paired with additional funding raised by PCC and the PCC Foundation, and the Meyer Memorial Trust provided matching donations.
Since then, Beaverton's total contribution has grown to $1.2 million, according to city budget documents. In spring 2025, more than 133 Beaverton high school students applied for the 2025-26 cohort.
How the program works
Future Connect pairs scholarships with personalized advising, career guidance and a dedicated college success coach. Students also get help with internships and navigating financial and personal barriers. Ninety-six percent of the most recent cohort identified as low-income and 87% identified as students of color, according to city budget records.
Since its first cohort entered PCC in the 2011-12 academic year, Future Connect has served nearly 5,000 students.
The PCC Foundation has secured more than $24 million in gifts and grants from private and public partners, with $8 million going to scholarships.
Josh Laurie, dean of PCC's College Success Programs, has been with Future Connect since its founding. "When we started the program 15 years ago, people said it might not stick and it might just be a flashy object that fades," Laurie said at the Sept. 10 celebration.
"But we believed in what we were building and so did the community."
In written testimony to the Beaverton City Budget Committee in May 2025, Laurie said he had worked directly with more than 600 Beaverton students and described watching them "go on to become professionals in nearly every field imaginable."
Results and state recognition
An independent evaluation by Education Northwest found the program leads to an 11% increase in three-year college completion or transfer rates, a 0.6-point GPA improvement in the first year and 12 additional credits earned. The data drew state attention.
In 2015, then-Gov. Kate Brown signed House Bill 3063, the "Aspirations to College" law, which was based on Future Connect. The law sent $3 million to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) for grants to community colleges. PCC received a $1.3 million HECC grant in 2016.
In December 2021, the federal What Works Clearinghouse found promising evidence of the program's effectiveness.
Scholarships beyond PCC
Future Connect graduates can continue receiving support through Next Step Scholarships at Portland State University, Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, Linfield University and other Oregon universities.
Next Step scholars receive between $35,000 and $68,000 annually through institutional and merit-based scholarships and grants, according to PCC.
Oregon State Rep. Mari Watanabe, a former PCC Board member who represents District 34, and Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read both attended the Sept. 10 celebration. The program now welcomes more than 300 new students each year.
