Far too many young people in rural parts of the country struggle to find higher education opportunities that align with the needs of businesses in their local communities. A just-introduced bipartisan Senate bill hopes to change that.

The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act is designed to encourage groups and organizations in rural communities to partner together to expose students to various career pathways. It also would provide information on student aid to students, many of whom are first in their families to attend college.

Meanwhile, employers will help determine the credentials—a college degree, skilled trade credential, or professional certificate—that local students need to land jobs.  

Florida community colleges are seeing some positive results from a state law enacted in 2013 that upended developmental education.

Those results, however, came after colleges undertook massive efforts to implement the law: They redesigned courses, shifted resources and staff, trained faculty, and hired more advisors.