The University of Arkansas has joined the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network, a coalition of 32 of the nation’s most prominent institutions dedicated to ensuring that students from rural and small-town America have the information and support they need to enroll and graduate from the college or university of their choice. 

STARS is doubling in size for the next year, adding flagship state schools, historically Black colleges, Ivy League universities, and other selective institutions, spreading STARS’ reach to more regions across the nation. As one of the 16 new members, the University of Arkansas will combine its own resources with STARS philanthropy to support pipeline programs and recruiting efforts aimed at students from small-town and rural America, as well as offering financial aid and on-campus programs to support students who enroll. 

“STARS is an exceptional program that addresses issues that are incredibly important to our land-grant institution,” said Charles Robinson, U of A chancellor. “We want every student in our state to find success both academically and professionally, but we know rural students can face issues that make that reach more difficult. We are working to help give them the support they need, and being a member of the STARS program contributes to our ability to do that.”  

Trott Family Philanthropies, the foundation of Byron and Tina Trott which catalyzed the creation of STARS with a $20 million gift in 2023, has donated another $50 million to expand the Network. That gift makes possible an investment of more than $150 million over 10 years in programs that prepare, recruit and support rural students. Once financial aid provided directly by the member institutions is factored in, along with additional support from philanthropies, non-profits and governmental agencies, an estimated $7.4 billion will be spent in support of STARS’ mission over the next decade. 

STARS IN THE FIRST YEAR

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. STARS institutions directly engaged with more than 700,000 students, and more than 288,000 students joined the STARS network. 

“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. “STARS and its affiliated programs are opening doors in higher education for high-achieving rural students they might not have found otherwise; and the students, campuses and our economy will all be the better for it.” 

In its first year, STARS:

• 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 
• Addressed math preparation gaps through a new partnership with Khan Academy and Schoolhouse.world that provides students with free courses and tutoring
• Partnered with local and national businesses to provide internships and job opportunities for the next generation of rural America 
• Inspired additional philanthropic giving across the country and new partnerships with leading college access organizations including the College Board, Davis New Mexico Scholars, the Ayers Foundation, and Palouse Pathways
• 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

“We are pleased to join the impressive STARS team,” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions. “Work in rural communities is an important and valued part of our enrollment efforts.  This program will help heighten our ability to engage with rural students on the value of a college degree, on ways to fund it, on pursuing financially and personally rewarding careers, and much more.”

STARS COMMITMENT

Students from rural America often face unique obstacles to attending college. While students in small towns and rural communities graduate high school at roughly the same rate as students in metro areas, they are only half as likely to graduate from a selective college or university. 

STARS simultaneously addresses a variety of obstacles that contribute to this disparity. Because of distance and cost, college admissions officies may bypass small towns and rural communities. Students in those areas are less likely to encounter college-related ads or attend events on campuses. 

College counselors in rural high schools are often overburdened, if the school even has a counselor. The average national caseload for rural counselors is 310 students, with a high of 347 in Arkansas. This means that students may have less access to educators and college access professionals who have broad experience and familiarity with the full spectrum of college opportunities. 

Importantly, these students may not think they can afford college. Many do not have the networks and resources to help them understand the financial aid and other support available to them. 

By combining resources and committing to a plan to overcome those challenges, STARS member institutions help a wide variety of students at every step of their journey, whether they ultimately attend a STARS institution or not. 

The new STARS member institutions are Amherst College, Auburn University, Dartmouth, 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.

STARS founding members are Brown University, California Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Colby College, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, The Ohio State Universty, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, Univerity of Maryland, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University. STARS is led by the University of Chicago and Vanderbilt and headquartered at the University of Chicago. 

Some STARS members have well-established programs for rural students already and seek to build on and share that momentum. Others are creating a new focus on opportunity for rural students. 

By highlighting the benefits of this work, the STARS College Network hopes to motivate other institutions, alumni, and philanthropists to increase their own efforts on behalf of rural students. Research shows that college graduates from rural areas often return to their communities, so efforts to help rural students get the greatest benefit from higher education can create a virtuous cycle of support, success and giving back to the next generation. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.

STARS College Network Year Two from STARS College Network on Vimeo.