City universities calling on all regional students

Sydney may see a rise in student numbers with the Gillard Government’s newly structured Youth Allowance.

As from January 1, the Gillard Government’s $265 million package will offer extra assistance to around 20,500 eligible students from regional Australia to make it easier for them to go to university.

Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, said from January 1, tertiary students from inner regional areas across Australia will be able to access independent Youth Allowance the same way students in outer regional and remote areas can.

“Students from Mount Gambier, Mackay and Bunbury will be treated the same as students from Port Lincoln, Townsville and Kalgoorlie,” Senator Evans said.

“Around 5500 students will now get access to Youth Allowance payments for the first time, or will receive a higher rate of payment each year.

In recognition that dependent students from regional areas often experience high costs to move from their home town for study, the Gillard Government has also increased the value of Relocation Scholarships for regional students.”

This means eligible students from regional and remote areas will be able to access $4000 in the first year they are required to live away from home to study at university, $2000 in the second and third year and $1000 in subsequent years.

Minister for Regional Australia, Simon Crean, said the changes would benefit around 15,000 regional higher education students per year over the duration of their degree.

“The number of regional students attending university is once again on the increase after a decade of decline under the Howard Government,” he said.

“Regional universities have strong relationships with their local communities and are vital partners in social and economic development of Australia’s regions.

“Young people who study in the regions tend to stay in the regions.

“This is a great outcome for regional communities and is a direct result of the Gillard Government’s investment in higher education in our regions.”

These changes come as five Sydney-based universities also made moves to diversify the socio-economic demographic face of their students in the $21.2 million ‘Bridges to Higher Education’ project.

This project involved the collaboration of the University of Sydney, University of Western Sydney, University of Technology, Sydney, Macquarie University, and Australian Catholic University over the next four years.