Federal Nationals Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan has welcomed funding to support tertiary students to move to the local area next year through the Australian Government’s Destination Australia program.
Mr Conaghan said the funding would enable scholarships to be offered through TAFE NSW and Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie and Southern Cross University in Coffs Harbour.
“The Destination Australia scholarships, worth up to $15,000 per student, will help encourage and support more tertiary students to move to the Mid North Coast,” Mr Conaghan said.
“These scholarships not only help to support students financially, attracting more students has flow-on economic benefits that will benefit local businesses and our regional economy.”
More than 1,800 students have already been supported to live and study in regional Australia through the Destination Australia program since it began in 2020.
Round 3 will be delivered through 28 tertiary education providers across 74 regional campuses, giving a further 383 students who enrol in qualifications from Certificate IV through to PhD the opportunity to experience a world-class tertiary education.
The NSW Nationals in the federal government will also continue to deliver over $13 million in support to 800 ongoing scholarship holders studying at our world-class regional higher education providers.
Nationals Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, said the Destination Australia scholarships provide an extra incentive for students to consider living, working and studying in the regions.
“The Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to supporting growth in our regional tertiary education providers as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, by encouraging students to consider their study options outside of our capital cities,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Students who move to our regions get to experience a great lifestyle, and a world-class education, while supporting the communities they live, work and study in.”
The NSW Nationals in the federal government have invested more than $1 billion in regional and remote education since 2016, including $93.7 million for the Destination Australia scholarships.
For more information, visit www.dese.gov.au/destination-australia
