Attempting to apply a sociological understanding of voluntary associations to the development of a practical model for rural community education, this paper is based on the assumptions that: there are a number of present-day educational needs which traditional systems of postsecondary education are not designed to meet; implications of this situation are presently more serious in rural than urban areas; and this problem can and should be resolved through community education programs which reflect careful synthesis of the experience of free universities in college communities with the sociological literature on voluntary associations. Reviewing the literature on voluntary associations, this paper considers traditional models of rural education within the context of the literature; examines the differences between rural and urban voluntary associations; and presents major elements of a rural educational model derived from the literature and the experience of free universities in college communities. By way of example, the University for Man (UFM), a free university located in Manhattan, Kansas, is described in terms of its development (1968-present) and its impact on small rural communities which modeled themselves after UFM in the development of community education programs (emphasis is on the necessity of advisory boards, a thorough needs assessment, and rural control over outside funding and expertise). Exemplary survey data derived from an experimental rural educational program are included. (JC)