Equal Access to Education

The recently elected Australian Coalition government is focusing on overhauling the country’s largest service export: higher education.

Amid a decline in international student enrolment, the government is focused on incentivising international students to study in Australia.

Kyarash Aryanpad moved to Australia from the United Kingdom to study at Melbourne University in 2021.

“My decision to move was based on the affordability and lifestyle aspect that I saw pushed everywhere,” he said.

“So far, I've been enjoying my time here, but I don’t see this as a permanent place to live when I graduate.”

Mr Aryanpad said the government's new incentives for international students, including the extension of work permits, is a temporary fix at best.

“It seems like a marketing tool,” he said. “They want to use international students to fix labour shortages, but there is no long-term benefit for students. Why wouldn’t they focus on the people who already live here?”

Via Edwards always knew she wanted to go to university but, growing up in the rural Victorian town of Cohuna, she wasn’t sure if this dream could become a reality.

Ms Edwards said that when the time came to graduate high school and begin applying for universities, she was startled at the lack of courses offered nearby.

“I knew early on that I wanted to study architecture or building design, but the closest university hub was in Bendigo and they didn’t even offer those courses. I had no choice but to move to Melbourne.”

She said, “A lot of my classmates chose to not even go to university because relocating would be too difficult for them, usually because of funds and leaving behind their life”.

Ms Edwards knew that this move would take an emotional and financial toll on her, as she would be taking on the monetary burden alone.

Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker found that the average full-time student earns only $16,310 per year.

The financial stress of attending university is higher with rural and regional students, as they have no choice but to pay accommodation and relocation costs.

With rental prices increasing in all of the major cities, not only is it proving to be difficult to secure a rental, but it is more expensive.

Donna Van Lieshout, former careers advisor at Deniliquin High School, said that for many students, the financial implication of relocating is one of the biggest deterrents.

“The cost of moving away from home and living in a city is prohibitive for some students. They may make the decision not to pursue tertiary education at all.”

"Many students take a gap year in order to build up savings to allow them to cope with the expenses of attending university. Part-time jobs are a must; however, these can inhibit visits home during holidays."

“I need to work to live, but if I work too much, I am sacrificing my university work and quality.”

The cost of relocating also comes with an emotional price tag.

Ms Edwards said, “it was my first time living away from my family. I was in this big city, with no family, no friends, no support network. I had no one to turn to".

Many rural and regional students have grown accustomed to a certain way of living, with the unfamiliarity of metropolitan areas being a deterrent.

Ms Van Lieshout said, “big cities can be very intimidating with lots of people, unfamiliar roads and complicated public transport. Many rural students look to regional campuses, like Bendigo and Albury, as places of study as they are more familiar than big cities”.

Regional young people are around 20 percent less likely to go onto further study post-high school.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in May 2021, 48.6% of people aged 25 to 34 years in major cities had a bachelor degree or above, compared with 26.9% in inner regional areas, 21.1% in outer regional areas, and approximately 16.6% in remote and very remote areas.

How will regional hubs help?

“Some students will never pursue tertiary studies. That being said, the more accessible a wide range of post-school studies are, the fewer barriers students will encounter and the more likely those who are wavering are to continue onto further studies,” said Ms Van Lieshout.

“Regional hubs would suit some students and offer greater opportunities to them,” she said. “In order for regional hubs to be successful there must be a wide range of courses available with qualified staff and the technology required to support students in an equitable environment.”

By introducing more regional campuses around Australia, there is an added incentive for local people to enrol in courses where location and travel is the main obstacle.

In addition to providing jobs in staffing and maintenance, regional universities collaborate with local industries to innovate, fill gaps in regional health care and labour, and help Indigenous students gain access to higher education.