The University of Chicago on Sept. 9 announced the launch of a long-term initiative to expand college and career opportunities for students from rural and small-town communities across the United States.
The Trott Center for Excellence in Rural America is anchored by a $100 million gift from Trott Family Philanthropies, the foundation of Trustee Byron Trott, AB'81, MBA'82, and Tina Trott. In addition to the Trotts’ investment, the initiative will include funds raised from new gifts across the UChicago community, as well as funds the University will commit to this important priority, combining for a total of $300 million to support students from rural and small-town America.
This reinforces UChicago’s commitment to access through its prestigious Odyssey Scholarship Program and distinctive educational environment, which brings together students and scholars with diverse perspectives.
“We are deeply grateful to Byron and Tina Trott for this special gift. The University of Chicago has long believed that our academic excellence goes hand in hand with expanding opportunity to intellectually rigorous and curious students from every community,” said President Paul Alivisatos. “The Trott Center reflects our commitment not only to enrolling talented rural students, but to equipping them with the academic support, networks and experiences needed for them to thrive academically and become leaders in all areas of civil society and parts of the country.”
The Trott Center will expand financial aid and serve as a coordinating hub for academic preparation, student development and career pathway programming. It will support students from small towns and rural communities with early outreach and advising for college that will continue through and after graduation, preparing them with the skills and experiences needed for career success.
“There is extraordinary undiscovered talent in rural America. Too often, young people simply are not aware of the opportunities available to them or prepared to pursue them,” said Trott. “We want to help change that. Over the last eight years, we have learned a great deal about how to connect with these students earlier, prepare them for what comes next and open doors that might otherwise remain out of reach. The Trott Center is about taking those lessons further and giving more young people the chance to reach their full potential with a world-class education and career opportunities.”
Expanding access and strengthening career pathways
Students from rural communities graduate from high school at rates comparable to their metropolitan peers, yet are less likely to enroll in and graduate from leading residential four-year colleges and universities.
This gift will fund early outreach and academic preparation programs in rural high schools, as well as expand financial aid for students from rural areas and small towns at UChicago. Financial aid for these students, and all UChicago undergraduates, is loan-free.
Recognizing that access alone does not ensure long-term success, the Trott Center will expand academic support and services, mentorship, leadership development and career support at UChicago. It will create structured internships and experiential learning opportunities to develop the professional skills, networks and experiences needed for careers, graduate study, entrepreneurship and public service.
Building on a national commitment to rural opportunity
The Trott Center builds upon work that began in 2018, when Trott asked UChicago leaders how many rural and small-town students attended the College. That question helped catalyze a broader effort to expand rural opportunity, with measurable results—first-year enrollment of students from small towns and rural areas at UChicago has grown 160% in the past decade.
“The University of Chicago changed the trajectory of my life, and Tina and I want more young people from rural communities to have that same opportunity,” said Trott. “What is powerful about this effort is that it does not stop at opening the door to college. It helps students build the skills, relationships and pathways to careers that can change their lives and strengthen communities across the country.”
Trott’s BDT & MSD Partners supported the founding of rootEd Alliance in 2018, which has embedded dedicated college and career advisors in 340 rural high schools across six states to expand postsecondary access and economic opportunity. In 2019, he helped establish the Emerging Rural Leaders program at UChicago, a week-long summer enrichment program for rising high school juniors and seniors on campus in Hyde Park.
In 2023, he made a $20 million gift to launch the STARS College Network, a coalition of colleges and universities committed to expanding rural access and support, housed at UChicago. In 2024, an additional $50 million gift enabled STARS to expand to 32 member institutions. Through this gift, STARS will expand members, advising and programming across the network.
Strengthening communities and the national workforce
Trott’s gift builds upon his longstanding commitment to increasing opportunities and access for students in rural America, inspired by the ways in which his UChicago experience transformed his own journey, which began in small-town Union, Missouri.
His philanthropy has aimed to level the playing field for students living outside the nation’s major metro areas and to create more opportunities for rural students. He has also helped encourage an approach that reaches students early, stays with them throughout and beyond college, and removes a wide array of disparate obstacles that can put rural and small-town students at a disadvantage.
As the Trott Center grows, the University of Chicago aims to deepen partnerships with secondary educators, employers and peer institutions to expand pathways from rural communities to leadership roles across the country. By broadening access and preparation, the initiative seeks to advance individual economic mobility while strengthening the long-term vitality of rural communities and the national workforce.
—Learn more about how you can support the work of the Trott Center.
