NSW Country Universities Centres (CUCs) are lifting the entrenched under-representation of regional students in higher education, through a community-led approach supported by the NSW Government.

With regional people participating in higher education at half the rate of those living in the metro cities, an independent evaluation of the state’s CUCs finds the centres are opening university pathways to students who would not have otherwise studied.

The report says CUCs are “fundamental” to growing a local workforce, especially in public service areas such as health, education, and social work, with more than 80% of graduates finding work in their home communities or other regional areas.

CUCs provide facilities for students to pursue higher education without the need to relocate. This includes access to high-speed internet, study spaces, and tailored learning and wellbeing support.

The UNSW Social Policy Research Centre evaluation of the NSW CUCs finds that:

• 51% of students are the first in their family to undertake higher education studies.
• CUCs support strong female (79%) and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (9%) participation, compared with national averages of 50.6% and 3.4% respectively.
• They support continued engagement in undergraduate studies, with nearly 90% of students reporting they are more likely to continue because of the CUC.

The report credits the program with supporting critical regional economic and community uplift, by upskilling local populations and enabling local industry, in turn generating higher salaries and attracting new residents.

As of Semester Two last year, NSW CUC students have studied 616 unique courses at 41 universities and 150 other institutions across Australia and internationally.

The Commonwealth Government’s Regional University Study Hubs program also provides support for NSW CUCs, and the NSW Government looks forward to working with counterparts on long-term sustainability for the centres.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:

“Because of our investment in Country Universities Centres, NSW is ahead of the game when it comes to lifting barriers to higher education and addressing disadvantage in our regions.

"Country Universities Centres are playing a crucial role in levelling the playing field in terms of equity and accessibility to higher education for regional and disadvantaged students.

“We know students who have access to CUCs stay in the regions, bringing individual and community benefits to these critical parts of our state.

“Through the CUC program we are delivering on our commitment to rebuild and strengthen the regional communities that are the powerhouses of our state.”

CEO of Country Universities Centres Chris Ronan said:

“The success of the CUC model is that it is community-led. We know that when regional NSW communities work together, we can get incredible outcomes and throw open the door to regional opportunities.

“The evaluation highlights how models that empower regional communities, which are institutionally neutral and student-centred, can deliver incredible results for regional NSW.”