What happens to students when rural colleges cut programs an…

Jon partnered with reporters from the education news outlet Open Campus to write about what happens to rural students when their colleges have to cut programs (usually as a result of low enrollment and financial challenges). Their story was co-published by the Washington Post.

Tell me why you decided to pursue this story about rural colleges that are closing programs. And did anything surprise you as you were reporting it?

We’ve been doing a lot of coverage about rural higher education, and about how rural students graduate from high school at very high rates but go to college at low rates. Before 2016, issues like this that affect rural America tended not to get as much attention as they should have. As we’ve increased our reporting of them, we’ve seen things largely getting worse, as rural private colleges have disproportionately closed and public universities have eliminated majors and programs. We’ve also had a chance to meet a lot of rural students and their families, in their communities, and learn first-hand about the challenges confronting those who want to go to college.

Rural students are more likely to prefer to stay close to home when it comes to college. What should people who work with rural students do if they find themselves in a higher education desert?

Yes, survey data show that rural students prefer going to college near where they live. In some cases, they don’t have a financial choice. But there are still options for them, including going a little bit farther away to universities and colleges that offer them financial aid. We’ve also written about a new initiative called STARS among selective, nationally known colleges and universities that committed to recruiting in rural places — something few of them have historically done. The list of participating institutions is getting longer, and they are anxious to talk to rural students and may help them apply for scholarships and discounts.

Some people believe that online courses might be a solution. What challenges do students in online-only courses face?

Rural students who I’ve met generally don’t like online education. That’s one of the reasons they told me during the pandemic that they’d given up on going to college at all — they thought it would be like the Zoom classes they were forced to take in high school during the pandemic. Keep in mind how isolated people can feel in these communities. And on a practical level, despite some improvement, internet access in rural places can be spotty.

What should a student do if they are in a college that is going to close out their chosen major? What questions should they ask?

I wish there was a better answer to this. Universities that eliminate degree programs typically promise to help majors finish up, but that depends on faculty sticking around after they’ve been told their jobs will ultimately be eliminated. Often students find that there are no longer enough sections of their required courses being offered. It can be a mess. A lot of students I’ve met switched their majors, and not happily. The other option is to transfer, which assumes that a successor institution will be affordable, within reach, and accept the student’s credits. In short, there aren’t a lot of good choices.

We are seeing an increase in dual enrollment during high school in many states with large rural populations — notably Mississippi, where your story was based. Do experts see this as a solution to help people go from high school to career?

There are dual-enrollment courses in vocational subjects such as welding, which can lead directly or almost directly to a job. So-called academic dual-enrollment courses can speed up the time it takes to get an associate or bachelor’s degree, and that can also get someone into the workforce more quickly than if they didn’t take dual-enrollment classes. But students need to make sure that the credits are likely to transfer.