Snow College was awarded a $3 million federal grant to build a comprehensive artificial intelligence initiative serving students and rural communities throughout Utah, according to a September 30 statement. The five-year investment, titled "AI for Every Utahn: Building Utah’s Rural AI Workforce Pipeline," will establish the Snow College Center for Rural AI Adoption and Integration.
The initiative aims to expand the college's capacity to prepare students, educators, and employers for an AI-enabled workforce. Through the grant, Snow College will provide enterprise-level AI access to students, faculty, and staff. The college also plans to integrate AI literacy throughout the student experience, develop new AI credentials, and expand AI education through its statewide rural concurrent enrollment network.
The program's impact is expected to extend beyond the college's campuses by bringing AI education to hundreds of rural high school students and educators each year. Additionally, the grant will support the creation of new internships, apprenticeships, and partnerships with Utah employers. Snow College Provost Dr. Michael Austin stated that the investment gives the institution the resources to help students understand how to use AI tools thoughtfully, responsibly, and effectively.
The grant builds on existing work at Snow College, where AI literacy and skills-based workforce preparation have been identified as institutional priorities. The college serves more than 5,000 students across campuses in Ephraim and Richfield, Utah, as well as a learning center in Nephi, Utah. Founded in 1888, the institution serves as the state's designated provider of interactive concurrent enrollment for rural school districts.
Dr. Austin noted that the grant provides an opportunity to continue the college's nearly 140-year history of strengthening rural communities. He stated that students from small towns deserve big opportunities and that Snow College is prepared to lead the transition into an AI-driven future.
