Elgan Varney, aged 32,  is accused of raping Hannah Stubbs, who was a student at Keele University.
The 22-year-old committed suicide at her home in Stafford in August 2015.
She was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, an inquest ruled last month.
After her death, her family said Hannah "could well be here today if things had been dealt with differently."
Ch Supt Jon Drake of Staffordshire Police said: "After we received the allegation of rape, specially-trained officers conducted an investigation into the incident.
"They did their best to support Hannah while the investigation progressed, but tragically, Hannah took her own life.
"Following a review by the Crown Prosecution Service, Elgan Varney of Wye Road, Newcastle, was charged with rape."
A statement from Hannah's family said: "Hannah's death has left a sense of loss that is impossible to put into words.
"We will remember her as a beautiful daughter who loved life, enjoyed spending time with her friends and family and was passionate about helping others.
"She is very much missed. We can and do thank all those who tried to reach out to Hannah, her family and friends and those medical professionals and individual staff at Keele University who tried to make a difference."
A man has been charged with the rape of a student who killed herself while detectives investigated the alleged crime, police say.