Bringing Higher Education To Rural & Tribal Communities

For many students living in rural American towns, college can feel out of reach for many reasons. For one, it can seem out of reach geographically, with campuses 50-100 miles away coupled with limited transportation infrastructure.

Many potential students also can’t attend because of lack of nearby resources, like outdated technology. A lack of internet access or fewer teachers and academic support programs were other reasons highlighted in the Harvard Review.

A FLEXIBLE, AFFORDABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE DEGREE

One option to combat this is the University of the People (UoPeople), the first tuition-free American-accredited online university. Through this partnership, students can complete their degree for just $2,800 with no FAFSA and no debt – just opportunity. UofPeople has now taught over 153,000 students from 209 countries.

That footprint is about to expand, courtesy of the Rural Community College Alliance’s (RCCA) network of over 300 community colleges, serving 3.4 million students.

Thanks to a new partnership between the two, more students can now transfer their associate degrees directly into UoPeople’s tuition-free bachelor’s programs, giving rural students an affordable path to a four-year degree, all without relocating.

“Many rural and tribal students juggle jobs, family responsibilities, and long travel distances,” says Chris Breitmeyer, President of RCCA and Clatsop Community College. “Now, they can earn their degree while staying in their communities.”

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