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The Rural Reconnect Initiative is a national effort led by The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), in partnership with MDRC, to advance college completion and economic mobility for Black and Latino students living in rural communities across the South and Southwest. 

Through research, meaningful partnerships, and evidence-based practices, the purpose of the Rural Reconnect Initiative is to better understand how institutions, organizations, and states are working to: 

  • Support the re-engagement of students with some college but no degree (SCND) particularly Black, Latinx, and Native students by creating meaningful opportunities for them to return and complete their education. 
  • Implement student-centered, evidence-based strategies that promote re-enrollment, persistence, and degree attainment. 
  • Navigate and address systemic barriers through local, state, and federal policy environments that influence rural student success. 

As part of this work, TICAS and MDRC are collaborating with institutions to understand how policy environments impact re-engagement efforts and to develop actionable policy recommendations that reflect the realities of rural students and institutions.

Rural Reconnect Advisory Group (RRAG)

Guided by rural experts, the RRAG includes educators, researchers, institutional leaders, and student success experts rooted in rural communities. This group is helping TICAS shape project strategy, ensure local context is centered, and identify the most impactful solutions for long-term change.

Focus Regions

This initiative prioritizes communities in rural South and Southwest states with significant populations of Black and Latinx learners, including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

These states are home to numerous rural-serving Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). 

Why This Work Matters

While more Black and Latino students are enrolling in college, degree completion rates remain disproportionately low, especially in rural communities, where systemic barriers persist. 

Rural students face intersecting challenges, including: 

  • Geographic isolation and limited broadband access. 
  • Transportation and childcare obstacles. 
  • Under-resourced high schools and colleges. 
  • Institutional capacity constraints and chronic underfunding at MSIs. 

These barriers contribute to stark inequities in postsecondary attainment: 

  • Only 39% of Black adults and 29.5% of Latino adults 25 and over have earned an associate degree or higher, compared to 52.9% of White adults.  
  • More than 40 million adults in the U.S. have earned some college credit but never completed a degree, with Black and Latino learners overrepresented. 
  • Many states with the largest rural Black and Latino populations also have the lowest college completion rates 

And yet, rural communities are central to the higher education landscape: 

  • 1 in 5 undergraduates attends college in a rural area 
  • Rural students face higher rates of food insecurity, longer commutes, and fewer re-engagement supports 
  • Rural MSIs, though critical to regional access, receive 25% less federal funding per student than their peers 

Grounded in TICAS’ research and the lived realities of those living in rural communities, the initiative works to re-engage adult learners, strengthen under-resourced institutions, and advance policy solutions that drive racial, economic, and geographic equity in postsecondary outcomes. 

Explore our foundational research in rural college completion:

What We’re Building

Through this initiative, TICAS and MDRC will develop a suite of resources to advance student success and drive impact: 

  • Rural Postsecondary Data Tool: An interactive platform to visualize attainment gaps and support data-driven decisions. 
  • Research Repository: Curated TICAS reports and national research on rural attainment and re-engagement strategies. 
  • Case Studies: In-depth profiles of rural-serving institutions leading innovative completion strategies.
  • Institutional Best Practice Guide: A hands-on resource to support evidence-based planning and re-engagement programs.
  • Final Synthesis Brief: A culminating publication outlining key findings, barriers, and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.

Meet Our College Completion Team