Scholarships to bring students to Wide Bay

Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien has welcomed funding to support tertiary students moving to the Wide Bay area for study, through the Australian Government’s Destination Australia program.

Mr O’Brien said the funding would enable 12 scholarships to be offered to Australian students through the University of the Sunshine Coast at its Gympie and Fraser Coast campuses.

“The Destination Australia scholarships, worth up to $15,000 per student, will help USC encourage more students to move to Gympie and the Fraser Coast and discover the great lifestyle we enjoy,” Mr O’Brien said.

“These scholarships help to support students financially, and by attracting more students, there will be flow-on economic benefits that will benefit local businesses and our regional economy.

“People who study in regional areas are more likely to stay in regional areas once they graduate, so it will also provide a benefit for our local skilled workforce.”

Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said Round 3 of the scholarships would provide students with up to $15,000 to take up a tertiary education opportunity in a regional community or campus.

“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,” Minister Tudge said.

“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.

“We will also continue to deliver over $13 million in support to 800 ongoing scholarship holders studying at our world-class regional higher education providers.”

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,” Minister 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 Liberal and Nationals Government has 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