Aspiring tertiary students in the Mudgee region will benefit from today’s opening of a local Country Universities Centre (CUC) by Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan.

The opening comes as Mr Whan welcomed Monday’s announcement of a three-year funding deal with the federal government to secure the future of the Mudgee centre.

The CUC program aims to address the ongoing under-representation of regional students in higher education by providing facilities and academic support for students where they live.

The Mudgee CUC was delivered through a NSW Government grant and more than $1 million and in-kind investment by the Mid-Western Regional Council.

In the first year of the centre’s operation, around 100 students from Mudgee, Gulgong, Kandos and Rylstone will use the space, with more than 200 expected to join over four years.

Since 2017, CUCs across the state have supported 4448 regional students in their studies.

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

“I am delighted to open this wonderful new facility in Mudgee which will give local students the opportunity to pursue further education without the need to leave their community.

“I am pleased to confirm that through our representations to the Federal Government we have also secured the centre’s future with ongoing funding announced earlier this week.

“By providing a free, local alternative to the cost of moving to study in metropolitan areas, CUCs across NSW are lifting barriers to university study for rural and disadvantaged students.

“We know students who have access to CUCs stay in the regions receive higher incomes and lift demand for local goods and services, creating a more liveable and vibrant regional community.

“It is just one of the ways the NSW Government is delivering on its commitment to rebuild and strengthen the regional communities that are the powerhouses of our state.”