State college as an answer to rural American education needs

Community College Enterprise, The, Fall 2006 by Burr, Kevin L

Rural America struggles as a socioeconomic entity. While the community college has been an essential response to some of the needs of rural American higher education, the community college mission is not comprehensive enough to provide complete higher education needs. Four-year degree options are necessary for rural America to progress in economic growth. The answer to the need could be the state college as defined in this article.

EDUCATION AS THE KEY TO SUCCESS reverberates throughout American culture. People with higher levels of education statistically earn a higher level of income and therefore arguably a higher quality of life. Today, some training beyond high school is needed for almost every occupation, even at entry levels. McDonald's has its own university. Certification requirements are common for most trades. Higher education offers some certification programs as do trade organizations themselves. Degrees, including the associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate, are viewed as essential for success. But, is access to higher education available to everyone? Theoretically, it should be, but... realistically, is it? Unfortunately, for many people in rural America it is not. The present article focuses on one aspect of inequality in access to higher education. It addresses changes that could alleviate a few barriers and addresses possible solutions that could increase opportunities for higher education in rural America.

Background and literature

Demographics

Rural America continues to face cultural changes that threaten its stability, changes that have a direct bearing on the challenges in rural American education. In the 1950s, the demographics of rural America were much different than today. Four out of every 10 rural people lived on a farm, and almost a third of the nation's rural workforce was engaged directly in agriculture. At that time, public policy related to agriculture was a dominant force shaping rural farm life. Today, commodity-based farm policies do not fully address the complexities of rural economies and populations. Farms are larger and more efficient, farm households depend more on off-farm income, and rural communities look for non-farm sources of economic growth. In current rural America, less than 10 percent of people live on a farm, and only 14 percent of the rural workforce is employed in farming (Whitener, 2005).

Diversity and the results of changing cultures have also affected rural America. Growing numbers of Hispanics settling in rural America account for over 25 percent of non-metro population growth during the 1990s (Labor & Education, 2006). With a younger population and higher fertility rate, Hispanics are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in rural America. In many areas, new Hispanic settlement patterns are contributing to the revitalization of small towns. Yet, the younger age, lower education, and large family size of many Hispanic households suggest increased demands for social services, including prenatal care, child care, and education programs.

The influx of Hispanic populations into rural America creates additional concerns. Typically, Hispanic immigrants are less educated than their rural American counterparts which throws the pendulum of education disparity even further in the wrong direction. However, through higher education strategies, rural America could begin to generate new employment and income opportunities, develop local human resources, and build or expand critical infrastructure that holds the most promise for enhancing the economic well-being of rural America (Labor &. Education, 2006). Some rural communities have changed dramatically due to increased population from urban areas, shifts in age and ethnic composition, and economic and industrial restructuring. Increasing competition from abroad and categorical shifts in employment present further challenges in a worldwide economy.

An overall rural American population growth increase started in the 1990s. The increase was over 10 percent, up from 3-percent growth in the previous decade. Migration continues to fuel rapid population growth in some rural American areas. But, overall growth began to slow at mid-decade, and the number of rural American areas that have lost population has climbed dramatically. While population loss affects many rural areas, it is particularly widespread in the Great Plains, an area that depends heavily on farming. Maintaining the population base, improving off-farm job opportunities, and providing public services continue to be long-term challenges for traditionally farming areas (Labor &. Education, 2006). A collection of data that is relevant to the makeup of rural America and influential to education in these areas follows (Labor &. Education, 2006):

* Low-education (622 total, 499 non-metro) counties are those where 25 percent or more of residents age 25 to 64 had neither a high school diploma nor a GED (General Educational Development) diploma in 2000.

* Low-employment (460 total, 396 non-metro) counties are those where less than 65 percent of residents age 21 to 64 were employed in 2000.