Rural Student Recruitment Initiative Expands With New Funding

A nationwide initiative to recruit students from rural and small-town America to top colleges including the University of Maryland is doubling its membership after just one year.

The STARS College Network opened doors to higher education for more than a quarter-million students in its inaugural year. Its expansion to 32 institutions this summer will add more flagship state schools, historically Black colleges, an additional Ivy League university and other selective institutions.

An estimated $7.4 billion will fund STARS’s mission over the next decade, which includes the financial aid provided directly by participating institutions, expanded support for the initiative from foundations and nonprofits, and new funding from governmental agencies. Trott Family Philanthropies will build on its initial $20 million gift that served to launch STARS with an additional investment of more than $150 million over 10 years in programs that prepare, recruit and support rural students.

This growth follows a year in which STARS outreach connected with 1.6 million people, including students, families, educators, administrators, foundations, legislators, companies and other organizations. STARS institutions directly engaged with more than 700,000 students, and more than 288,000 joined the STARS network.

UMD’s recruitment and yield efforts through STARS included its admissions staff meeting with hundreds of prospective students on campus and in their hometowns, hosting school counselors both at a national conference and in their communities, and introducing STARS to legislators who represent rural counties. The university also created a new admissions staff position focused on rural recruitment.

“Each of these efforts helps to underscore our commitment to inclusive excellence and to ensure that the University of Maryland enrolls diverse populations of students from every corner of our state,” said Shannon R. Gundy, assistant vice president, enrollment management at the University of Maryland. “We look forward to further enhancing pathways for students to pursue higher education at their flagship institution."