Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $44 Million to Improve Postsecondary Education Access and Completion for Rural Students

By India Education Diary Bureau Admin On Jun 29, 2024

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced more than $44.5 million for 22 grants under the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development (RPED) program to improve rates of postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion among rural students through the development of high-quality career pathways aligned to high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations in the region.

“Rural communities face unique challenges in educating, training, and developing high-skill workers—yet they are also home to students with unique skills and potential,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “These dedicated funds will ensure that students in rural areas have access to postsecondary credentials and other resources that lead to high-quality career pathways and economic success.”

Applicants for the RPED grant program were encouraged to provide programs to support secondary students in accessing postsecondary education, to include partnerships with career pathways, and to provide strategies for community college students to transition to a four-year institution.

The list of the FY24 RPED grantees are listed below:

State	Name	Amount	Description
Alabama	Chattahoochee Valley Community College	$2,226,554	Improve rural student success through the development of career pathways aligned to high-skill, in-demand industry sectors.
Alabama	George Corley Wallace State Community College	$2,227,500	Provide opportunities to transfer to a four-year institution or directly into the workforce.
Alabama	Unite Inc.	$2,179,248	Provide services for rural, first-generation, and high school students from low-income backgrounds to promote college enrollment.
California	Palo Verde College	$2,227,500	Provide an array of online and rural services to educate dual enrollment and new college students who have demonstrated academic need.
Indiana	University of Indianapolis	$2,033,672	Provide students with relationship-centered learning, integrated hands-on curriculum, and blended career and postsecondary education pathways that results in dual credit, workforce postsecondary credentials, and work-based learning experience.
Kansas	Independence Community College	$2,225,606	Enhance post-secondary career and education opportunities for high school students
Kansas	Newman University	$2,103,308	Provide academic and career supports to students in fields such as, agribusiness, business, education, nursing, and sonography.
Kentucky	Western Kentucky University	$2,035,668	Provide supports to students for postsecondary education success in teacher college and career pathways.
Montana	University of Montana-Missoula College	$1,815,359	Support rural secondary students and teachers in Western Montana by allowing for both the expansion of existing health science CTE programs and the development of new health science CTE programs related to college preparedness and access, student retention and success, and employability.
Nebraska	Nebraska Children and Families Foundation	$2,227,500	Implement high-quality student success programs, career exploration, wraparound services, and cross-agency coordination to advance systemic change to increase access to postsecondary education for rural students.
New Mexico	New Mexico Educational Assistance Foundation	$1,804,726	Provide targeted remote postsecondary education supports to students to bridge the digital divide.
North Carolina	Halifax Community College	$2,182,035	Create a professionally staffed Student Academic Support Center.
Ohio	Marion Technical College	$1,714,423	Increase postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment of rural students and awareness of in-demand occupations among rural populations in north-central Ohio.
Ohio	Ohio University	$2,022,519	Increase the number of underserved students in the Southeastern Appalachian region of Ohio who enroll in, and complete, postsecondary educational pathways leading to careers in Advanced Manufacturing and related STEM fields.
South Dakota	Black Hills State University	$1,993,247	Increase postsecondary education access and success for rural students by creating supports for students.
South Dakota	University of South Dakota School of Education	$2,227,335	Create a teacher fellowship program.
Texas	The Garrett Center on Transition and Disability Studies at Sam Houston State University	$2,219,533	Provide wraparound services for rural students with disabilities as they transition from school to employment.
Washington	Grays Harbor College	$2,227,500	Provide a suite of direct holistic student support services and individual support tailored to meet the needs of each individual rural student.
Washington	Heritage University	$811,773	Create a pathway to train a diverse nursing workforce.
West Virginia	EdVenture Group Inc.	$1,956,655	Provide secondary school students beginning as early as eighth grade with career and technical education experiences aligned with high-growth industries.
West Virginia	Southern Regional Education Board	$2,175,937	Provide academic and career supports for students for postsecondary education success in fields such as, business, accounting, and education.
Wisconsin	Western Technical College	$2,202,231	Develop pathways for rural students into Certified Pre-Apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship opportunities within the education, information technology, manufacturing, and healthcare industries.
Total		$44,839,829

For more information about the program, please visit Rural Postsecondary & Economic Development (RPED) Program.