Report notes pandemic challenges to rural community colleges, opportunities to strengthen programs

A new report from the Association of Community College Trustees does a deep dive into how the pandemic has disproportionately hurt rural areas, both economically and from a health standpoint, and has exacerbated already existing disparities.

"For community colleges, the public health crisis comes hand in hand with an enrollment crisis," the report says. "As the world moved online, rural colleges struggled to reach and retain students with no access to the Internet or to personal computers necessary to do coursework. Rural community colleges also reported trouble recruiting new students, as their pre-pandemic recruitment relied on taking advantage of in-person venues such as local clubs, churches, and high school football games. Without local television or radio stations, and with in-person events cancelled, many rural colleges have been left with few methods to promote their services."

Rural community colleges also must deal with longstanding struggles to enroll rural students. Rural high school graduates are less likely than their suburban and urban peers to enroll in any college at all, let alone a community college. "Rural students are more likely than their urban and suburban peers to be first-generation, and may see the prospect of immediate employment as more appealing and less stigmatized than attending college," says the report, produced with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Additionally, many rural residents aren't convinced community college (or any college) is a good investment. According to a 2016 Pew Research Center study, rural residents are less-likely to believe a college education provides skills necessary to one's career. Also, "there is a strong perception in many rural communities that college is for 'others.' Young people in rural communities, especially young men , feel obligated to support themselves immediately after high school. Attending college often is seen as a barrier to working full time, and those going to school may be seen as selfish, a burden to their families, or shirking real responsibility," the report says. "Going to college can also be associated with leaving the community, a decision that carries with it its own set of economic and social implications. Rural community colleges can mitigate some of this by providing flexible education opportunities for rural students without going far from home."

Rural residents who want to attend a community college must deal with obstacles such as lack of public transportation, broadband connectivity, and affordable childcare, the report says.