• Charles Sturt has 400 instalments of $5,000 on offer through the Australian Government's Tertiary Access Payment program for potential students

Charles Sturt University will be able to help 400 school-leavers from regional, rural or remote areas during their first year at university through the Australian Government's Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) program.

The University has 400 payments of $5,000 on offer through the program for students who meet the eligibility criteria.

The program was developed in response to the National Regional, Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy (Napthine Review), which identified a city-country divide in tertiary education.

Payments of up to $5,000 will assist Charles Sturt students with relocation costs and provide incentive for tertiary study immediately after leaving secondary school.

Students are eligible if they meet the following criteria:

• come from an outer regional, remote or very remote area. Eligibility for this can be checked with Centrelink
• starting a course in the first available study period having completed year 12 or equivalent and are under the age of 22
• relocating to study at a Charles Sturt University campus at least 90 minutes away from their family home
• enrolling in a Certificate IV or higher qualification with a minimum duration of 12 months
• enrolling in a full-time study load (75 per cent minimum) over 12 months
• Parents’ or guardians’ combined income does not exceed $250,000

Charles Sturt Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students) Ms Jenny Roberts welcomed the opportunity to assist students to study at Charles Sturt.

“There should not be barriers for students from regional, rural and remote locations to obtain a tertiary education in Australia,” she said.

“The Tertiary Access Payment allows us to assist 400 students to undertake their degree at Charles Sturt University while alleviating some of the financial pressures that can come with relocating.

“We welcome the federal government's TAP program at Charles Sturt University and look forward to helping students achieve their education goals while living and working in regional NSW.”

More information about the program and how to apply is on the Charles Sturt website.

The TAP program is expected to benefit more than 8,000 students in its inaugural year in 2021 in a move to strengthen tertiary educational in regional and remote Australia.