Tertiary education students are being encouraged to study in regional centres like the New England under new scholarships to be rolled out by the Federal Coalition Government.

Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said the Government is offering scholarships worth $15,000 to 4,720 students to study in regional areas through the $94 million Destination Australia program.

The scholarships will be available to domestic and international students and will be accessible through regional universities, such as the University of New England in Armidale and locally-based Vocational Education Training (VET) providers.

Mr Joyce urged higher education and VET providers to apply for funding which can benefit the students, the education provider and local towns.

“This is a win-win all round - not only do students receive subsided education, the Government is picking up the cheque for the provider while our drought-hit communities reap the financial and social rewards of hosting the students during their study,” Mr Joyce said.

“This will lead to more regional jobs and business opportunities as well as encouraging more local tourism.

“The New England has a lot to offer prospective students and we also have a lot to gain.”

Higher education and VET providers from regional Australia are encouraged to check their eligibility and to apply via GrantsConnect on the online platform.

Funding will be finalised later this year, allowing providers to offer scholarships for study commencing semester one 2020.

Successful providers will also be entitled to additional funding to allocate, administer and promote the scholarships to prospective international and domestic students.

For more information about Destination Australia click here.

(ENDS)