Students living in America’s rural areas would be connected with educational and economic opportunities under a bipartisan bill sponsored on March 23 by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
“Supporting 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,” Sen. 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.”
The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act of 2023, S. 965, which has three original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), would establish a rural postsecondary and economic development grant program to encourage rural community stakeholders to partner together to help students matriculate, graduate, and enter the workforce, according to the bill’s text.
“We must do more to ensure that rural students can access higher education opportunities that lead to good-paying jobs in their communities,” said Sen. Hassan. “Sen. Collins and I will keep working together to strengthen rural education, which in turn supports rural communities, by boosting the local workforce and helping the economy thrive.”
If enacted, S. 965 also would call 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, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Collins’ staff.
Additionally, S. 965 would give partnerships the authority and resources to help rural students navigate financial aid and course selections, while also encouraging partnerships to work with employers to determine what credentials are needed for rural students to be hired, the summary says.
“I encourage our colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation,” Sen. Collins said.