Texas Innovative Adult Career Education Grant Program (ACE)

Intent

Texas Innovative Adult Career Education Grant Program (ACE) provides grant funding to eligible nonprofit Applicants that seek to develop, support, or expand workforce intermediary and job training programs for Veterans and low-income students to enter careers in high-demand and/or higher earning occupations.

Eligibility

Entities in the following categories are eligible to apply for an ACE Grant Program Award:

• Nonprofit organizations that serve as workforce intermediaries and job training organizations.
  • A nonprofit organization is defined as an organization exempt from federal income taxation under §501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by §501(c)(3) of that Code.
  • A workforce intermediary and job training organization is an organization that engages in comprehensive long-term job training in partnership with a public junior college, public state college, or public technical institute and provides labor market intermediary services to participating students.

How to Apply

Application Closed.

Application Information

Funding is available to support the SSAP 3.0 Grant through biennial appropriations approved during the regular session of the 89th Legislature. Contingent upon the amount of funding available, award sizes are based on submitted applications and are up to $500,000.00. The grant period will be approximately twenty-four (24) months. 

THECB estimates that as many as eight (8) or more (depending on available funds) will be awarded for the grant period. Applicants may submit a single application. Funding for the ACE Grant will be awarded to applicants on a competitive basis. Awards are made based on rank order of reviewed applications until the allocated annual funding is exhausted. 

All inquiries should be emailed through ACE@highered.texas.gov. Applications must be submitted via the THECB Grants Management System (GMS). 

Important Dates

Rules and Regulations

Statutory Authority: Texas Education Code, Chapter 136, §§ 136.001 and 136.005-136.007.

Funding Authority: General Appropriations Act, 89th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, Article III, Strategy C.1.5, THECB Rider 55.

Program Rules: Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 10, Subchapter RR, §§10.870–10.878

General Grant Provisions: Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 10, Subchapter A.   

Impact

In 2013, House Bill 437 passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature establishing the Texas Innovative Adult Career Education (ACE). Austin Community College was designated as the grant administrator. House Bill 8 of the 88th Legislature transferred administration of ACE to the THECB. The THECB has since adopted rules in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 10, Subchapter RR, §§10.870–10.878 for administration of the ACE Grant Program, in addition to the THECB’s general grant rules found in Subhcapter A.

The ACE Grant Program is currently funded with $4,332,000 in state appropriations provided by the 89th Texas Legislature under the General Appropriations Act. The ACE Grant Program provides grants to eligible nonprofit workforce intermediaries and job training organizations that aim to develop, support, or expand programs to prepare low-income students or Veterans for careers in high-demand, higher-paying occupations.

Grant Cycle

Additional Notes

Request for Application (RFA) Released on Tuesday, May 12, 2026: 

• ACE Grant Program Request for Application (RFA) 
• RFA Announcement

ACE Informational Webinar, May 18, 2026 (1:00 p.m., CT): 

• Webinar Recording 
  • Passcode: qe5#J2VJ
• PowerPoint Slides

Frequently Asked Questions

• Inquiries