Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said students from regional Australia, like Hinkler, would be the big beneficiaries of the Coalition Government’s higher education reforms, with more university places and more study support.

The Government’s Job-ready Graduates legislation passed yesterday, unlocking an additional $400 million for regional students and universities, including:

• More university places for Australian students, with the fastest growth for regional universities.
• $5,000 scholarships for students from outer regional and remote areas to help pay relocation costs.
• $17.1 million over four years for demand driven Commonwealth supported university places for Indigenous students from regional and remote areas.
• $21 million to establish additional Regional University Centres throughout Australia.
• $48.8 million to fund research collaboration between regional universities, industry and other higher education partners.

“The additional $400 million in support for regional students and regional universities brings our Government’s total investment to more than $1 billion to improve higher education opportunities for regional and remote Australia since 2016,” Mr Pitt said.

“Hinkler students will also benefit from the $550.3 million to create an additional 12,000 university places for Australian students and 50,000 short course places announced in the Budget.

“The Coalition Government’s plan will support more Australians from Hinkler and other regional and remote areas, to learn the skills they will need to succeed in the jobs of the future.

“These reforms will make it cheaper to study in areas of expected future job demand, students who study agriculture and maths will pay 62 per cent less for their degree.

“We want more people from Hinkler to benefit from a university education because halving the gap in attainment and participation rates in regional and remote areas by 2030 will increase GDP by around $25 billion by 2050.

“Our Government will establish a $900 million National Priorities and Industry Linkage Fund to incentivise university engagement with industry to focus on creating more STEM-skilled and job-ready graduates in areas of industry and community priority.

“We are also providing $22.1 million for a program to support women in STEM advanced apprenticeships and industry cadetships where universities and employers will design advanced qualifications that combine work and study to meet industry demand.”