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The RP Group’s Transfer Among Rural Learners study integrated statewide student focus groups, practitioner interviews, and survey data to examine rural transfer pathways.
The consensus: For rural students, reaching a bachelor’s degree is costlier, more isolating, and hindered by rigid state policies that fail when universities are hours away.
3 Key Research Findings
The “Rural Penalty”
Rigid statewide mandates—like the 50% Law—cap operational spending, throttling the counseling and transfer support services rural students need most.
Critical Navigation Gaps
Rural students lack the informal networks and procedural know-how their non-rural peers rely on to decode complex transfer systems.
The Power of Targeted Partnerships
Rural colleges moving the needle are building creative cross-institutional alliances, including out-of-state tuition compacts, transfer culture initiatives, and regional institutional grants.
4 Immediate Legislative Actions
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Address the Rural Penalty: Adjust funding formulas like the Student-Centered Funding Formula to recognize geographic isolation costs and incentivize rural colleges expanding Bachelor’s Degree Programs (BDPs) and university partnerships.
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Reform the 50% Law: Create a rural exemption or flexible spending threshold so isolated colleges can right-size investments in transfer outreach and advising.
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Expand and Target Place-Based Baccalaureate Options: Direct dedicated state funding to close resource gaps—prioritizing pathway development, staffing, and direct student support at rural campuses.
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Fund Cross-Institutional Partnership Infrastructure: Authorize rural community college BDPs in regional high-demand fields, and fund university partnerships delivering online or hybrid degree completion on rural campuses.
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