Rural colleges and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) could be strengthened by federal and statewide efforts to make broadband connection a telecommunications utility, through better funding, and more support for student’s basic mental health care needs.
That’s the findings of the Association of Community College Trustees (AACT), who spent 18 months researching the issue at hundreds of institutions across the nation.
Now, thanks to continued funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ACCT is furthering this work by beginning a second phase, which aims to create a peer learning network; to create a system of technical support to help with grant applications; and to establish an online resource that other ACCT members and state and federal policy makers can use to access relevant information and resources.
