1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Success for Rural Students and Communities Act of 2023 . 2. Rural postsecondary and economic development grant program Part Q of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1161q ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 862. Rural postsecondary and economic development grant program (a) Purposes The purposes of this section are to— (1) increase enrollment and graduation rates of secondary school graduates and nontraditional students from rural areas at 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education, their articulation from 2-year degree programs into 4-year degree programs, and their attainment of market-relevant credentials and certificates; (2) ensure rural communities benefit from their students’ success by advancing rural economic development and cultivation of a skilled local workforce with employment opportunities for college graduates; (3) promote economic growth and development in the rural United States through partnership grants to consortia of rural serving institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, and regional economic development entities; (4) foster innovation and development of effective practices, identify and document effective practices for the purpose of continuous quality improvement, and ensure that additional rural areas benefit from innovations through dissemination of practices that are most effective in rural areas; and (5) foster elevated levels of investment in rural students and communities by State, private sector, and philanthropic partners. (b) Definitions For the purposes of this section: (1) Nontraditional student The term nontraditional student means an individual who— (A) delays enrollment in an institution of higher education by 3 or more years after secondary school graduation; (B) attends an institution of higher education part-time; or (C) attends an institution of higher education and— (i) works full-time; (ii) is an independent student, as defined in section 480