• NSW Government to provide study subsidies for 12,000 students studying healthcare courses
• Charles Sturt University’s health students eligible to receive $4,000 per year or one-off payments of $8,000

Charles Sturt University welcomes the announcement by the NSW Government of more than $120 million to support higher education students in healthcare courses.

From 2024-2028 inclusive, the funding will provide 12,000 students with study subsidies. New students will receive scholarships of $4,000 per year, while existing students will receive one-off payments of $8,000.

To be eligible for the funding, the students must be willing to make a five-year commitment to the NSW public health system.

Under the program, up to 850 student nurses, 400 medical students and 150 people studying midwifery will receive financial assistance each year, along with students in paramedicine, Indigenous health, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy.

Charles Sturt has more than 5,500 students at various stages of their courses in these fields, including:

• Bachelor of Nursing: 2,950
• Doctor of Medicine: 115
• Graduate Diploma of Midwifery: 189
• Bachelor of Paramedicine: 669
• Bachelor of Physiotherapy: 469
• Bachelor of Occupational Therapy: 332

Charles Sturt University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Renée Leon, said the program would help the University continue to supply regional, rural and remote communities with critical healthcare workers.

“As Australia’s leading regional university, one of our core functions is to serve our communities through
the provision of a skilled healthcare workforce,” Professor Leon said.

“We know that students who study in regional areas are far more likely to live and work in regional areas after graduating. Given this, financial support for health students will help Charles Sturt University to address the skills shortages in hospitals, clinics and practices outside Australia’s major cities.

“It is wonderful news for our current and prospective healthcare students, who are the future backbone of regional NSW’s healthcare system.”

NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said: “We know that not only do we need to recruit more health workers, we need to retain them”.

“This is just one of the suite of measures we are undertaking in building a supported workforce. By boosting and supporting our health workforce, we will improve patient outcomes.”