Rural Community Colleges and Federal Funds

President Obama is setting a goal for the US to have the highest percentage of college graduates in the world by 2020. It looks like that calls for annual increases of 5-6% in total numbers of degrees granted, state by state. That's quite a challenge. The Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA) and the DOE recently convened a meeting about the unique needs of rural community colleges.

Community college leaders told the audience that their needs diverge in important ways from those of suburban and urban community colleges. Though all community colleges are suffering as states nationwide tighten their budgets, rural community colleges must deal with special challenges, the college leaders said. Expenses that might seem paltry at other institutions, such as facing a bill of $55,000 to replace a computer lab, as one rural Arkansas community college is, can prove insurmountable, the college officials said. In small towns, there are few opportunities for partnerships with private businesses. Faculty members are paid less. And even when rural community colleges do obtain grants, they are often functioning at capacity, so they have nowhere to put students or equipment for new or expanded programs.

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Regional SCUP Events! Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers at one of three SCUP regional conferences this spring:

• March 14–16: Baltimore, MD
• March 24–26: Cambridge, MA
• April 5–7, San Diego, CA