The STARS College Network, which partners with top colleges to help students from small towns and rural communities enroll in, succeed at and graduate from the undergraduate program of their choice, is doubling its membership to include 32 of the nation’s universities.
Washington University in St. Louis is a founding member of STARS, which launched in 2023 with the support of the Trott Family Philanthropies. As a STARS member, WashU has increased its visits to rural high schools and established new programs to introduce counselors and prospective students to the university and surrounding region.
In addition, WashU launched its Rural Scholars Academy, a free summer program for talented high school sophomores from rural and small-town communities. Now in its second year, the program strengthens academic and leadership skills, demystifies the college application process and introduces students to WashU and the St. Louis region.
As a result of these efforts and others, Washington University has seen a 53% increase in the number of enrollees from rural communities.
“Our STARS outreach helps us enroll students who bring the intellectual and experiential breadth and diversity that sparks learning and discovery,” said Ronné P. Turner, vice provost for admissions and financial aid. “Both our institution and the home communities of our students are better for that. These students have the opportunity to bring their knowledge and expertise back to their community in ways that drive innovation and economic development.”
The new STARS members include flagship state schools, historically Black colleges, Ivy League universities and other selective institutions. The expansion follows a year of remarkable outreach. In the past year, Washington University and other STARS institutions visited some 1,100 rural high schools and directly engaged with more than 700,000 students.
The Trott Family Philanthropies, which catalyzed the creation of STARS with an initial $20 million gift in 2023, plans to invest more than $150 million over 10 years in programs that prepare, recruit and support rural students.
The new STARS member institutions are Amherst College, Auburn University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Southern Methodist University, Spelman College, Stanford University, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of California, Berkeley, University of Denver, University of Notre Dame, University of South Carolina and The University of Texas at Austin.
In addition to Washington University, STARS founding members are Brown University, California Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Colby College, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University and Yale University.
