The University of Iowa will gain new resources for rural and small-town students, thanks to a $100 million gift from Trott Family Philanthropies to the Small Town and Rural Students College Network (STARS), the national, 32-school coalition the UI helped found.
The gift, which launches the new Trott Center for Excellence in Rural America at the University of Chicago (STARS’ founding partner and host institution), will fund an expanded STARS College Advisor Program, new career preparation programming, and continued growth of the network, which is adding eight more member schools in the coming months.
What this means for Iowa
Iowa joined STARS in 2023 as one of its original 16 founding members, drawn by an enduring mission centered on expanding access for students across the state. The university has long dedicated numerous resources to supporting rural students, including visiting more than 140 rural Iowa schools each year.
The Trott gift builds on that work. STARS students are more than twice as likely to attend a four-year institution as the national average, and expanded programming funded by the gift will include a rural internship matching program, career treks, career competitions with employer partners, and earlier access to career advising — resources Iowa’s rural students will be able to draw on alongside the advising and outreach UI already provides.
The STARS impact is apparent in this fall’s incoming student class. About 17% of enrolled UI students are from rural areas and 20% identify as first-generation students.
“These numbers are a strong sign that our work with STARS and Iowa’s rural communities is reaching the students it’s meant to reach,” says Brent Gage, UI associate vice president for enrollment management. “This gift means we can build on that momentum — giving students even more support, from college advising all the way to their first job after graduation.”
At Harlan High School, a rural western Iowa school with about 450 students, counselor Jenni Svendsen said many of her students are the first in their family to attend college — and STARS has helped close that gap.
“I think a lot of it is expanding our students’ sense of what's out there,” she says. “STARS is really good about bringing opportunities to our students that they may not have.”
About the gift and STARS Network
Students from rural communities graduate high school at rates comparable to their metropolitan peers yet are less likely to enroll in and graduate from four-year colleges — often because they lack access to resources such as dedicated college counselors. Since STARS launched in 2023, its member schools have collectively enrolled nearly 40,000 rural and small-town students, with most reporting that their rural student population has doubled over three years.
The gift launches a 10-year effort to raise $300 million in new funding to support rural students at every stage — from early academic preparation and college access to student success and career development.
It also adds six new STARS college advisors to its team of 10, expanding free college advising, workshops, and educator resources to more of the 84 partner schools across 20 states. The new gift will support STARS’ goal to provide one-on-one college advising to rural students in all 50 states.
A central focus of the new Trott Center will be on helping students turn educational opportunities into successful careers. By connecting students with career preparation and professional networks, the initiative will create opportunities for students while strengthening rural communities.
Learn more about the STARS College Network at starscollegenetwork.org.