In January 2022, the General Assembly allocated $500,000 to establish pilots at Catawba Valley and Brunswick community colleges to provide career pathway opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

After a successful 2-year pilot program, lawmakers moved to expand the pilot — allocating nearly $4 million of recurring funds to offer Access to Achievement at 15 community colleges across North Carolina. The expanded programs launched in the spring of 2024 and by the closing of the fall 2024 semester, over 300 students had been served by Access to Achievement coordinators across the state.