The Hidden Cost of Rural Transfer

Distance is more than just miles—it’s a barrier to equity. To understand how geographic isolation affects transfer in rural communities, we conducted focus groups with students and interviews with college personnel across the state.

Their stories reveal that geographic isolation acts as a cost multiplier, creating a system where rural colleges must spend significantly more just to achieve parity with urban institutions.

Key Takeaways:

• Voices from the Field: First-hand accounts of how the "Distance Penalty" shapes student choices.
• The Policy Gap: Why treating rural and urban colleges as "interchangeable" fails our communities.
• The Solution: A roadmap for funding based on the true cost of delivery, not just headcount.