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Archived PublicationsFact Sheet (for latest Fact Sheets please go to Fact Sheets 2004)4. Regional SupportInstitutions in regional areas play a critically important role in the economic and social life of their communities which goes far beyond traditional educational activities. The Commonwealth recognises the unique contribution made by regional higher education institutions and campuses to their local communities and to students from regional and rural areas. Universities that provide places at regional campuses face higher costs as a result of location, size and history. Regional campuses often have less potential to diversify revenue sources, a smaller capacity to compete for fee paying students and a narrower industrial base providing fewer opportunities for commercial partnerships. A number of measures will be introduced to provide additional support for regional campuses, institutions and students. Regional LoadingThe Commonwealth will provide an additional $122.6 million over four years to incorporate a regional loading into the Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS) for students enrolled at regional campuses. For the purpose of the CGS regional loading, a regional campus will be a campus located outside a mainland state capital city area, in a population centre with fewer than 250,000 people. Having satisfied the initial test of regionality, a campus would be recognised within one of four bands, established according to two criteria: distance from the closest mainland state capital; and size of institution. The loading will be applied according to the number of equivalent full time student units (EFTSU) provided at regional campuses. Table A:
Regional Loading Bands
(a) Band 1: Campus located in the Northern Territory; Band 2: Campus is more than 300 km from a mainland capital city and has fewer than 10,000 EFTSU; Band 3: Campus is either more than 300 km from a mainland capital city or has fewer than 10,000 EFTSU; Band 4: Campus is neither more than 300 km from a mainland capital city or has fewer than 10,000 EFTSU. (b) Loadings are based on 2001 higher education data and may vary in future years according to the actual numbers of students in regional campuses of public higher education institutions. Commonwealth Learning ScholarshipsThe Commonwealth Learning Scholarships programme will be introduced from 2004 to assist rural and regional, low income and Indigenous students with costs associated with higher education. There will be two scholarships – one for educational costs and one for accommodation costs. Both will be merit based, non-repayable and will target students from low income backgrounds [see Fact Sheet: Commonwealth Scholarships]. Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships (CAS) will be directed to specifically assist financially disadvantaged students from regional and rural areas. Around 10,000 students from rural and isolated areas, many of whom are from low income and/or Indigenous backgrounds, move away from home each year to commence higher education. For many of these students and/or their parents, the cost of accommodation represents a significant burden. A CAS will help alleviate this burden. A CAS will provide full-time students from rural and regional areas with $4,000 per year for up to four years to assist them with accommodation expenses where they have to move to undertake higher education. In 2004, 1,500 scholarships will be offered, allocated on the basis of academic merit. By 2007, 2,030 new scholarships will be awarded each year and approximately 7,550 students will be in receipt of a CAS. The Commonwealth will provide $75.8 million over four years to the CAS programme. Many regional and rural students may also be eligible for a Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship, which will provide recipients with $2,000 per year for four years to assist in meeting education costs. Collaboration and Structural Reform FundA Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund will be established for three years beginning in 2005, to provide competitive funds to foster collaboration and structural reform in the higher education sector. National priority areas for collaboration will be identified for each round of the programme. The initial priorities will include initiatives which involve collaboration between universities and their communities, particularly, but not exclusively, regional communities [see Fact Sheet: Enhancing Collaboration]. A total of $36.6 million will be allocated to the Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund between 2005 and 2007, which combines $16.6 million of existing Higher Education Innovation Programme funds with new funds of $20 million. Additional places in nursing courses in regional campusesThere is a pressing need to respond to the current shortage of working nurses due largely to the high attrition rate of nurses from the workforce, coupled with increasing demand for nursing places. The Commonwealth notes that the Review of Nursing Education emphasised the need for improved conditions and remuneration in order to improve retention in the nursing profession. In large part it is the responsibility of State and Territory governments to ensure that nursing graduates remain in the system. In the expectation that the States and Territories will accept their responsibility in this regard, the Commonwealth will provide an additional 210 nursing places in regional campuses, rising to 574 places by 2007 as students continue their courses, at a cost of $17.1 million over four years, to assist in addressing the nursing shortage. Further places will be made available across the sector in 2007, which institutions may use for the delivery of teaching and nursing should demand exist. The reforms outlined in this Fact Sheet are subject to the passage of Commonwealth legislation. Full implementation details for the reforms will be provided over the coming months. Contact DetailsMedia inquiries:
Other inquiries:
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Any comments or
queries should be sent to:
highered@dest.gov.au
Department of Education, Science and Training
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