Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate and New South Wales Senator Fiona Nash has welcomed the Federal Conference of the Nationals unanimous endorsement of the establishment of a tertiary access allowance to assist regional students and families.
“The Nationals are for regional Australia, and we recognise there is a serious inequity that exists between regional and metropolitan students when it comes to accessing tertiary education.
“The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee’s inquiry into Rural and Regional access to Secondary and Tertiary Education Opportunities found the cost of sending a child away to a tertiary institution or university was between $15,000 and $20,0000 a year – a cost experienced on far more occasions by families living outside of capital cities in the regions.
“A student from regional Australia has only a 33% chance of attending university compared to a 55% chance for students who come from major metropolitan cities – The Nationals do not believe this is a fair - the real issue should not be about where somebody lives, but how far the family home is from the universities regional students actually attend.
“I have been fighting hard for the establishment of a Tertiary Access Allowance. I am very pleased that the Federal Conference of the Nationals has today unanimously endorsed the proposal, which would benefit so many regional familles and regional students who experience a large financial burden when they leave home to attend university.
Motion put to Federal Conference:
"That this Federal Conference of The Nationals condemns the Rudd Government for its failure to recognise the economic barriers for regional students forced to leave home to attend university and supports the introduction of a range of measures that provide equity and fairness including a Tertiary Access Allowance to assist with accommodation costs.”
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