As Maryland’s flagship university, the University of Maryland is committed to ensuring that all students in the state know that the pursuit of a higher education is within their reach. We are eager to have the perspective, experiences, and viewpoints of students from every corner of the state represented in our classrooms and on our campus. Students from rural areas and small towns within Maryland have not traditionally pursued higher education at the same rate as their peers in other areas of the state. We have committed ourselves to working through the STARS College Network to increase the college enrollment of these students. Through our initiatives in the Terrapin STARS program, we embrace the responsibility of working directly with students, their school counselors and their families in rural areas and small towns in our state. Our goal is to ensure they know the benefits of a Maryland education, understand how they can access that education, and are positioned to take advantage of the resources available to make that education affordable.