STARS College Network: Expanding Opportunities for Rural Students
The Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network is a coalition of higher education institutions dedicated to increasing college enrollment and graduation rates for students from small towns and rural communities. Recognizing the unique challenges these students face, STARS provides resources, support, and opportunities to help them navigate the college application process and succeed in higher education.
Addressing Disparities in College Access
Students from small towns and rural communities graduate high school at roughly the same rate as those in metro areas. However, they are only half as likely to graduate from a selective college or university. Several factors contribute to this disparity:
- Limited Access to Information: College admissions officers are far less likely to visit rural areas than urban and suburban ones. Rural and small-town students often miss out on college ads and campus events because they’re not as widely promoted in their communities.
- Overburdened School Counselors: High schools in rural areas are often overburdened. The average caseload per counselor is 310 students, with a high of 574 in rural Michigan. This means that students have less access to educators and college access professionals who have broad experience and familiarity with the full spectrum of college opportunities.
- Financial Concerns: Many students from rural areas do not think they can afford college and do not have the networks and resources to help them understand the financial aid and other support available to them.
- Lack of Preparation: Rural high schools often struggle with limited college counseling resources, which means their students receive less personalized guidance throughout the college admissions process. Many rural students lack the information to understand federal financial aid and scholarship options. These students may also be less prepared for standardized tests, which are crucial for college admissions.
- Difficulty Adjusting to College Life: Students in small towns and rural communities often face unique obstacles when acclimating to a more urban-and often more liberal-environment. Many have to adapt to lecture halls filled with more students than attended their entire high school.
The STARS College Network Solution
The STARS College Network addresses these challenges by:
- Providing Information and Support:
- Visiting rural high schools to bring information about a wider variety of institutions directly to students and educators. Since its founding last year, the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network has sent representatives to 1,100 small-town high schools in 49 states, providing more than 700,000 rural students with the information and support they need to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program.
- Providing monthly virtual panels with college admissions staff from Network schools, with topics designed to meet students wherever they are in their college search process.
- Offering virtual sessions, free on-campus programs, and local sessions with local high schools and community-based organizations.
- Expanding Access to College Experiences:
- Giving prospective students and educators more opportunities to experience STARS campuses firsthand through free trips to visit colleges and summer programs that help prepare students academically and socially for college. Some institutions have funded cost-free visits and summer college-preparation programs to help students get a taste of campus life.
- Supporting Academic Preparation:
- Helping address transcript gaps by providing free online tutoring in math and prerequisite courses. STARS also provides free courses and tutoring through Khan Academy and Schoolhouse to help students boost their preparation in math. They provide students with free courses and tutoring to help bridge these gaps.
- Facilitating the Transition to College Life:
- Building a sense of community on their campuses by introducing rural student clubs and fostering local business partnerships so students can go home for the summer and complete internships, just like their peers in urban or suburban regions. STARS members have sought to build a sense of community on their campuses by introducing rural student clubs and fostering local business partnerships so students can go home for the summer and complete internships, just like their peers in urban or suburban regions.
- Advocating for Policy Changes and Research: Network members have also campaigned for additional philanthropic giving; advocated for federal, state and local policy changes; and sparked academic research on rural access.
- Connecting Students with Opportunities: Partnered with local and national businesses to provide internships and job opportunities for the next generation of rural America.
Network Expansion and Increased Reach
The STARS College Network is doubling its membership to include 32 of the nation’s most prominent higher education institutions. The expansion will be supported by $150 million over the next 10 years from Trott Family Philanthropies, which provided an initial $20 million for the launch. The expansion announced this summer will add flagship state schools, historically Black colleges, an additional Ivy League university, and other selective institutions, increasing STARS’ reach to more regions across the nation.
The coalition is welcoming 16 new members this year: Amherst College, Auburn University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Southern Methodist University, Spelman College, Stanford University, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of California Berkeley, University of Denver, University of Notre Dame, University of South Carolina and The University of Texas at Austin.
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They join the 16 founding members of the network which includes Brown University, California Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Colby College, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Yale University.
With support through STARS, member institutions expand their efforts to enroll more students from rural areas through a combination of summer pipeline programs, college application workshops, on-campus recruiting visits, expanded outreach by college admissions staff, and assistance in applying for financial aid and scholarships.
Financial Commitment to the Mission
It’s estimated that as much as $7.4 billion will be dedicated to funding STARS’s mission over the next decade. That figure includes the financial aid provided directly by participating institutions to students and expanded support for the initiative from foundations, nonprofits and additional funding from governmental agencies. Trott Family Philanthropies is adding to its initial $20 million gift that launched STARS with a new commitment of more than $150 million over the next ten years in programs that will prepare, recruit, and support rural students.
Successes and Impact
In its inaugural year, more than a quarter-million students across the country joined the STARS College Network and took part in STARS activities. This extraordinary growth follows a year in which STARS outreach connected with 1.6 million people, including students, families, educators, administrators, foundations, legislators, companies and other organizations.
In its first year, STARS:
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- Visited 1,100 rural high schools in 49 states to bring information about a wider variety of institutions directly to students and educators.
- Gave prospective students and educators more opportunities to experience STARS campuses first-hand through free trips to visit colleges and summer programs that help prepare students academically and socially for college.
- Provided monthly virtual panels with college admissions staff from Network schools, with topics designed to meet students wherever they are in their college search process.
- Partnered with local and national businesses to provide internships and job opportunities for the next generation of rural America
- Sparked national media coverage, academic research, convenings and policy conversations about how to enhance college access for rural and small-town students
- Advocated for federal, state and local legislation that would support rural and small-town communities
Voices of Support
“STARS’ first year demonstrated that there is an appetite and imperative for our nation’s leading universities and colleges to better serve the massive talent pool in our small towns and rural regions,” said Byron D. Trott, chairman and co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners.
“As one of co-founding institutions of STARS, we’re incredibly proud of the efforts we’ve made as an organization to reach small-town and rural students. The astounding numbers we’re seeing support the impact STARS is having,” said Douglas L. Christiansen, Vanderbilt’s vice provost for university affairs and dean of admissions and financial aid.
“Leading our office’s efforts to provide college access opportunities to students like me has been one of the highlights of my career,” Rea says. “It’s been incredible to work alongside many dedicated rural and small-town counselors and advisers from across Tennessee and the country. The STARS College Network hopes to motivate other institutions, alumni and philanthropists to increase their efforts on behalf of rural students. As a STARS member, UT is committed to making sure students from these areas have the support, information and tools they need to feel confident as they explore their college options.
Resources and Opportunities
All of the colleges in the STARS Network offer specialized support for students and families from rural and small towns across the US. That support includes virtual sessions, free on-campus programs, and local sessions with local high schools and community-based organizations.
Here are some examples of upcoming events:
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- Virtual Panel: College to Career (Social Sciences)-This event helps students learn how STARS member schools support students pursuing careers in the social sciences.
- Virtual Panel: Rural and Small-Town College Students-This event helps students learn about college life and the transition from a rural or small-town high school to a large college.
- STORY Virtual Information Session-This event offers insights on holistic college admissions, how to make a college list, and how to apply for college admission and financial aid.
- Virtual Panel: Mock Application Workshop-This monthly event allows students to see what a real college application looks like and receive tips on how to approach the college search process.
- STARS Virtual College Fair-This event, hosted by colleges in the STARS Network, allows students to learn about opportunities and programs at select colleges across the country.
- STARS College Network Fly-in Programs-These in-person programs allow students to fly to select colleges for campus visits. Students can attend the program for free, including travel, transportation to and from the college, meals, and activities. However, space is limited. To be considered, students must be current high school juniors, receive a nomination from an educator, and complete an application.
Partnerships for Expanded Impact
STARS also partners with several organizations to expand its impact. One major partner is the rootEd Alliance. This public-private partnership helps rural students plan their futures, whether that means going to college, entering the workforce, or joining the military. rootEd places dedicated college and career advisors in 195 schools across Missouri, Texas, and Idaho.
A new multi-year partnership with the College Board has also supported STARS with $300,000 in funding for the AP Rural Fellows scholarship program. This funding aims to enhance AP teacher training, create new resources for rural counselors, and showcase successful STARS models and practices at College Board national conferences.
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