In Spring 2025, the American College Health Foundation (ACHF), with financial support from Pfizer, launched the Increasing Campus Vaccine Coverage (ICVC) Grant Program. The goal of the ICVC project is to improve overall student and community health by increasing vaccine coverage for college student populations with low immunization rates.
Now at the midpoint of the program year, eight campuses across the country are piloting creative, targeted strategies to close immunization gaps and build models that can be sustained on their own campuses and ultimately replicated nationwide.
A National Effort with Local Impact
The ICVC cohort includes:
- California State University, Sacramento
- Gallaudet University
- George Mason University
- Howard University
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- University of Memphis
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Wichita State University
Each institution received $15,000–$20,000 to design innovative approaches tailored to their student populations.
The program targets Meningococcal (ACWY, B and ABCWY), Influenza, HPV, and MMR vaccines that are especially critical in campus settings, where dense residential and classroom environments increase outbreak risk.
Data-Informed, Student-Centered Strategies
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, each campus began by identifying its own vaccine coverage gaps. Using local data, institutions are directing outreach toward students who may face access barriers, misinformation, or lower engagement with health services.
At the mid-year mark, campuses have launched a range of creative strategies, including:
- Pop-up and mobile vaccine clinics in high-traffic spaces
- Peer health educator programs
- Gamified vaccine education campaigns
- Targeted outreach through secure messaging, email, and social media
- Updated EMR workflows to integrate point-of-care vaccine education
- Partnerships with local pharmacies
- Financial assistance for uninsured or underinsured students
- ASL-accessible vaccine education materials
Many campuses are embedding vaccine conversations into broader health promotion initiatives, helping normalize vaccination as part of routine student well-being.
More Than a Grant: A Learning Collaborative
ICVC is not just a funding opportunity, it’s a national learning community.
Through monthly cohort meetings and individualized technical assistance, participating institutions are strengthening evaluation plans, refining SMART goals, and sharing real-time lessons. Guest speakers have covered topics including evaluation strategies, meningococcal disease and vaccine messaging, mobile clinic best practices, and peer education approaches. Upcoming sessions will focus on social marketing and addressing vaccine misinformation among young adults.
Looking Ahead
In the coming months, campuses will continue implementation, analyze data, and document outcomes to share with ACHA members nationwide.
The ICVC program reflects what is possible when philanthropy, national leadership, and campus innovation align. Through ACHF partnerships, institutions are not only increasing vaccine coverage today, they are building sustainable systems that will protect campus communities well into the future.
We look forward to sharing final results later this year.
ACHF is proud to support these efforts through its ongoing commitment to advancing student health initiatives and fostering innovation across higher education.
Questions? Contact Robyn Buchsbaum, ACHA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, at rbuchsbaum@acha.org.
