National Rural College Completion Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

Nearly 20 percent of the total U.S. population lives in rural America, yet the experiences of rural communities are often left out of many research and policy conversations, particularly in higher education. The barriers for students living in rural communities to get to and through college are deep and persistent, and they require solutions designed like Stay the Course’s Education Navigation, to address the unique challenges faced by rural students and the colleges that serve them.   

To that end, TICAS is taking a keen approach in raising awareness of the issues facing Rural-Serving Institutions. In this brief, we highlight key facts and barriers rural students and Rural-Serving Institutions face, make recommendations to address them, and raise the importance of centering the diversity of rural communities in completion research and policy.