The best kept secret of Texas are the small communities that often get overlooked when taking a road trip. Of the 1,200+ public school districts in Texas, 473 are rural, accounting for 39% of all school districts in the state¹. These districts typically serve fewer than 1,000 students K-12, with average class sizes of 30-60 students, and some even less². While rural students graduate high school at comparable or higher rates than urban students, only 25% of rural adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to 37% in suburban and urban areas³. This is where the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Rural Student Success Initiative (RSSI) came to be.

RSSI leverages Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s county-based-platform to partner with rural districts across the state to increase the number of rural students enrolling and completing a postsecondary certificate or degree program. Initially, RSSI partnered with 9 districts to implement college and career readiness initiatives and has since expanded to 27 districts. The program follows a college access framework that outlines key milestones beginning in the eighth grade. These milestones focus on exposing students and their families earlier to the different postsecondary options and financial aid available to help fund an education beyond high school. As students progress through high school, milestones focus on the necessary tasks required for college readiness, such as taking the TSIA or SAT/ACT, completing the FAFSA, and applying to colleges. Throughout the school year, RSSI collaborates with school staff to provide technical assistance and resources tailored to each district’s student population.

Texas’ vast size means that the approaches to FAFSA workshops vary. For example, a FAFSA event in East Texas might take on a gumbo theme, while a “FAFSA Fiesta” might be more appropriate in another region. RSSI capitalizes on the likes of the community to draw student participation and parent engagement. On the other hand, some RSSI districts find success with one-on-one assistance rather than large events typical of bigger cities. RSSI has learned in some regions, there may be some skepticism especially when it’s time to complete the FAFSA. Although many rural parents trust their school administrators, they may be hesitant to share personal information regarding financial status, family dynamics, or citizenship status. They fear the information shared on the FAFSA being spread around the community or to unauthorized government agencies. To alleviate this apprehension, RSSI recommends introducing financial aid information early and considering partnerships with financial aid representatives external to the community. Finding financial aid experts who have no direct ties to the community, they can help maintain the anonymity of special circumstances.

Since the last U.S. Census, Texas saw a significant increase in the Hispanic population and an increase in poverty rates in rural counties due to economic fluctuations and migration. This altered the demographics in some regions and presented challenges for some of our remote districts as they are not equipped with the tools and resources to effectively reach a rapidly growing diverse student population .  To address these challenges, RSSI spearheaded efforts to help districts strategize new approaches to ensure they reached every student. Often it involved applying simple, yet effective, strategies such as changing the messenger (or adding messengers) or relocating the event to a more familiar venue other than the high school. Making these small adjustments has been effective in encouraging participation among new and hard-to-reach populations. For instance, an East Texas district partnered with a local Catholic Church to host a financial aid workshop for their Spanish-speaking community. This strategy is distinctive to small Texas towns because after athletic events, faith-based events may be the next largest community gathering.

Like others across the state, RSSI experienced setbacks from events like the 2020 pandemic and updates to the FAFSA application. However, despite these obstacles, we still witnessed a positive shift in the college-going culture among partnering districts. The program’s third-party evaluation found that FAFSA completion rates in RSSI districts are 5.3% higher compared to non-participating rural districts⁵. Although RSSI saw FAFSA completion rates drop from previous years this past cycle, RSSI districts continued to outperform the state average for the 2024-2025 cycle.

Last school year, RSSI saw first-hand the difficulties the new FAFSA form brought to schools. It increased frustration and skepticism among families in rural communities. While we were unable to fix the mechanics of the application, we were able to secure buy-in among families by listening to their concerns and acknowledging fears and frustrations. We committed to guiding them through the process as best we could. Going into this year, our college access specialists are ready to assist families with the same empathetic approach. Now that the anticipation has subsided, we know that we need to get information to parents earlier, create FSA IDs by December, and communicate realistic expectations with families while remaining positive.

Guest Authors:

Dr. Maria Luna-Torres joined Texas A&M AgriLife Extension as Project Director in 2018. She oversees the implementation of AgriLife’s Rural Student Success demonstration project in rural school districts across 23 geographically remote counties in Texas. To her current position, Maria brings over 20 years of experience in higher education. Prior to joining AgriLife Extension, Maria served in numerous leadership roles at TG (now Trellis Foundation) as Director of Education Finance Initiatives and Director of Public Policy & Advocacy. In that capacity, she led statewide college access, and education finance initiatives. She also supported the organization’s philanthropic efforts to advance public policies aimed at improving higher education equity for underrepresented student populations. She earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University in College Station. Also, she earned a doctorate degree in Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Houston.

Shelby Behm has served as the Data Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Rural Student Success Initiative (RSSI) since 2019. With over five years of experience in data collection and analysis, she plays a pivotal role by ensuring data integrity and providing insights that inform program development. She started her career in college access as a College Advisor for the Texas A&M University Chapter of Advise TX in the DFW area. As a graduate of a rural public high school in West Texas, Shelby is committed to making a positive difference in rural students’ journeys toward achieving a postsecondary credential. She has earned a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and a master’s in Higher Education Leadership & Policy from Southern Methodist University.

Arnulfo Gonzalez joined Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in 2018 as a College Access Specialist. He currently leads program development as the college access and success expert, directly supporting partnered rural districts across the South, Gulf Coast, and Western regions of Texas, where his efforts have greatly advanced student success in underserved communities. With 14 years of experience in higher education, Arnulfo has held leadership roles, including in the GEAR UP IV program at Texas A&M International University and as a College Advisor for the Texas A&M University chapter of Advise TX. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and a Master’s in Higher Education with a focus on Student Affairs from Grand Canyon University, providing him with the knowledge to empower students and expand educational opportunities.

Sources:

¹Texas Education Agency (TEA), District Type Glossary of Terms, 2020-2021

² Texas Education Agency (TEA), Snapshot: School District Profile, 2022-2023

³National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Educational Attainment in Rural Areas. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.

⁴Texas Tribune (2023), Texas’ statewide poverty rate declines, but several rural counties see increase in poor resident. Retrieved at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/15/texas-poverty-rate-census-2022/; Texas Tribune (2023), More than two-thirds of Texas’ 30.3 million residents live in four largest metro areas. Retrieved at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/20/texas-2023-population-growth-demographics/

⁵Ben Castleman & Andrew Barr (2022), Impacts of the RSSI Program on FAFSA Completion for the First Two RSSI Cohorts.