In many rural areas, the local college is the center of the community: It is the primary source of education and job training for residents; a cultural hub offering arts and sporting events; a hotspot for broadband internet access; and, sometimes, the area's largest employer. When a rural region has few other large institutions, the local college takes on even greater importance. As the United States grapples with the recession caused by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the economic fragility of rural areas looms large. Many rural counties were slow to recover from the 2008 recession, in contrast with most American cities, where employment and economic growth rates recovered relatively quickly. The United States Department of Agriculture identifies three main reasons for this disparity in rural areas: an older population, a higher proportion of the population with disabilities, and lower levels of education. This paper presents considerations for rural colleges grappling with financial stability and how to improve education attainment rates. [MDRC, Ascendium Education Group, and Rural Matters partnered to present a four-part audio series called "Rural Higher Education: Challenges & Opportunities," which aired on the Rural Matters podcast. This supplementary paper summarizes Part IV of the series.]