ED ED-GRANTS-041823-003: 2023 Rural Postsecondary & Economic Development (RPED) Program

W. Parent-Johnson (Family and Community Medicine) //  Limit: 1  

UArizona may submit one proposal to this funding program. 

The purpose of the RPED Grant Program is to improve rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among rural students through development of career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region.

For rural students, and particularly low-income and underserved rural students, barriers to accessing postsecondary education include difficulties in accessing high speed internet, transportation, child care, and healthcare; as well as challenges of experiencing poverty, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. Furthermore, many rural students who do decide to attend college are first-generation students who lack sufficient college preparation in high school,[4] and are unfamiliar with the inner workings of postsecondary institutions, including the college application process and how to finance a college education.[5] These students may feel underprepared for higher education and typically face challenges once in college; many experience hurdles that leave them unable to complete their programs.[6] Accordingly, these inequities in college readiness and knowledge may discourage individuals from underserved student populations from continuing their education beyond high school.[7] These and other challenges may negatively affect rural students' ability to be academically successful and in turn be competitive in the job market.[8] 

Many of these challenges result from geographic isolation, distance from services, and a lack of resources and institutions to support community members. Rural communities are often located in education deserts, which may limit students' exposure or convenient access to postsecondary institutions.[9] For many rural students, transportation is a barrier to accessing colleges where they can earn a bachelor's degree, and thus they begin their postsecondary education at 2-year colleges