WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a bipartisan effort to help rural communities thrive, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act of 2020 on Wednesday.

Their bipartisan bill would help rural students reach their higher education goals and connect them with employment opportunities in their hometowns.

“Investing in the educational aspirations of rural students not only helps them to achieve their personal and career goals, but also contributes to the success of our communities,” Collins said. “Our bipartisan bill encourages schools and employers to forge partnerships that will put students on pathways to the high-need jobs available where they live. I encourage our colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation that will create additional jobs and economic opportunities in rural towns across the country.”

“Far too many young people in rural communities struggle to find higher educational opportunities that align with the needs of businesses in their local communities,” Hassan said. “Our bipartisan bill would help build partnerships between local businesses and schools to ensure that students can get the education they need both to expand their own opportunities and also spur innovation and economic growth in their communities.”

“It’s validating to see the Success for Rural Students and Communities Act reflecting some of the most important learnings about how to clear the path to educational opportunity for students in rural America,” rootEd Alliance President Noa Meyer said.

“Grant programs like these will drive innovation to take on this challenge and help us enable rural students and their communities to thrive.”

“Rural students can have a tough time pursuing postsecondary pathways due to a lack of resources and opportunities in their communities,” JFF Associate Vice President Lexi Barrett said.

“JFF applauds the Success for Rural Students and Communities Act because it would provide much needed investment to strengthen rural postsecondary pathways, particularly at community colleges. This is a critical step in supporting rural economic growth, which in turn ensures students in these areas have access to good jobs and career opportunities.”

“All students should be able to realize the promise of higher education, but geographic and economic challenges in rural communities often make these opportunities more difficult,” National Rural Education Association Executive Director Allen Pratt said.

Rural students tend to graduate from high school at higher rates than their peers in urban districts, and at about the same rate as their suburban peers. However, only 59% of rural graduates go straight to college, whereas 62% of urban graduates and 67% of suburban graduates do so.

The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act would improve college access for rural students by spurring innovation and investment in new strategies. Specifically, the bill would create a demonstration program to encourage rural community stakeholders to partner together to help their students matriculate, graduate, and enter the workforce. These partnerships would draw on the talents of local school districts, institutions of higher education, regional economic development entities, and rural community-serving organizations.

The bill calls for partnerships to coalesce around approaches that boost the higher education enrollment rates of rural students, including by exposing students and their families to college campuses, courses, programs, and internships, and to the career pathways to jobs at home.

Many rural students are the first in their families to attend college. The bill would give partnerships the authority and resources to help rural students navigate some of the common challenges of higher education, such as financial aid and selecting the educational programs that meet their needs.

The bill would encourage partnerships to work with employers to determine what credentials are needed for rural students to be hired, whether that is a college degree, a skilled trade credential, or a professional certificate.

A number of strategies could be developed and tested, including work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships, internships, and stackable career credentials.

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