Uni fund to help rural students

RURAL and regional students living in Victoria will gain financial support to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses under a Commonwealth scholarship fund.

Eligible students — with a fresh emphasis on droughtaffected areas — can access up to $18,000 towards the cost of studying at university or a vocational education and training institution through the $24 million Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarships program.

There is a growing gap between city and regional Australians’ admission into tertiary institutions.

The 2016 Census data revealed 49 per cent of people aged 15 and over living in greater capital city areas held a bachelor degree or above qualification compared with 30 per cent living outside of the greater capital cities.

In 2017, almost 45 per cent of people aged from 25-34 in major cities held a bachelor degree or above qualifications, while the proportion for those people living in regional and rural areas was 20.5 per cent and 20.6 per cent respectively.

New guidelines to the scheme will also make it easier for drought-affected students to apply.

Education Minister Dan Tehan said students should apply for the scholarships.

“Educational opportunities should be open to every Australian, no matter where they live,” Mr Tehan said.

“We also want to encourage more students to study STEM, because that is where many of the future jobs will be.”

Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education Minister Michaelia Cash said some studies had predicted three in every four Australian jobs of the future would require STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) skills.