By Shawn Hutchinson
Residents of Colfax, Washington, population 2,840, are like
many small town residents across the nation. There is a strong sense of
community. Many residents know each other very well. Some work in small,
family-owned businesses. Others work on farms outside of town. Just like their
urban counterparts, they raise families. Eventually, these children have to
make a decision between their small town life and the potentially intimidating
transition to a major college or university.
A study by the National Student Clearinghouse Research
Center in 2012 showed that students from rural communities have generally lower
enrollment rates in institutions of higher learning. About 65 percent of rural
high school students enroll in college, compared to about 70 percent for urban
high school students of a similar family income level, according to the study.
About 17 percent of rural adults have a college degree compared to their urban
counterparts. Finally, lower income rural students have the lowest persistence
rate among college students, at 79 percent.
For many in rural communities, these numbers don’t mean that
much. Colfax resident Chance Hiatt said he believes rural schools definitely
prepare students as well as urban schools.
Hiatt said, “I felt more comfortable than some of the urban
students.”
Attending University of Idaho, Hiatt stayed close to home to
study management and information systems. Hiatt said there are not a lot of
differences between students from urban and rural backgrounds once they arrive
on campus.
“Some came from wealthier families and didn’t have to worry
as much about paying for school,” said Hiatt.
Another Colfax resident who went to college is Greg Huber. He
started at Spokane Community College and then attended Central Washington
University. Huber eventually became a pilot after graduating, flying corporate
aircraft. Huber said he did not face any different challenges then urban
students when he attended college.
“I feel there was no trouble transitioning from high school
to Spokane Community College,” said Huber.
There is a misconception about rural education. Teacher
Bobbi Mackleit said people from cities sometimes tend to think that rural
students are not as intelligent because they didn’t have as much hands-on
experience with their education.
“All students have a bag of resources,” said Mackleit. “We
have some that urban students don’t use, and vice versa.”
Mackleit said rural schools with the same curriculum and the
same class sizes could be even better than urban schools.
Mackleit said: “Teachers have closer relationships with the
kids. They know them from a younger age. Teaching is more effective in class.
The standards tend to be a bit higher as well. There’s more accountability on
both sides.”
Mackleit said the closeness between students and teachers
makes things easier for students.
“It is easier to know how kids are doing in rural
communities,” said Mackleit. “You can only get to know so many kids at a time.”
Still, the statistics show rural students having lower
persistence rates in college. A lot of this can be explained by the closeness
of families in rural communities. Elizabeth Huber, Greg Huber’s sister-in-law,
said she didn’t need to extend her schooling beyond high school. She now works
for the family business, as does Greg Huber.
“The pull to work on the family farm can override the need
for higher education,” said Elizabeth Huber.
Families in rural communities tend to support their children
if college ends up being part of their future. Both Mackleit and Hiatt became
the first in their families to go to college, and they said their families
supported them in that decision. Greg Huber’s family did the same.
“It was the direction I wanted to go and they supported me
in that direction,” said Greg Huber.
Rural students also face a problem very familiar to urban
students: rising costs for education.
“The cost of college keeps going up and up,” said Elizabeth
Huber. “Not as many scholarships are available.”
Rural communities are home for a lot of people. Despite what
statistics indicate, Greg Huber has full confidence in rural communities.
“Colfax is a great place to raise kids,” said Huber.
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