S 15: Tasmania Branch (TAS)

The National Regional, Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy Final Report (Napthine Review) sole focus was on rural and remote tertiary education and contained 7 key recommendations and 33 actions. To ensure the Federal Government’s commitment to rural and remote tertiary education and of  improving tertiary education participation and outcomes for students from regional, rural and remote areas, all the recommendations and associated actions must be implemented.

The cost of relocation and ongoing living expenses associated with living away from home and the inability to qualify for student payments including Youth Allowance are two significant barriers faced by rural and remote students accessing a tertiary education and form part of many of ICPA tertiary motions each year. While rural and remote students are appreciative of the recommendation’s actions that were implemented in particular the Tertiary Access Payment, the expansion of the Regional University Centres and improving the Fares Allowance, there are other recommendations particularly around Youth Allowance that must be implemented to improve these student’s eligibility to student payments and access to a tertiary education.  

The recommendations pertaining to Youth Allowance that have not been implemented  are:
• access to Youth Allowance as an independent for rural and remote students who successfully complete their first year of tertiary study externally and then relocate to continue study for a further minimum of one year
• the reduction of the earnings required for rural and remote students who are qualifying for independent Youth Allowance under the Concessional Workforce test and
|• the review of the changes to the parental means test cut-offs for independent Youth Allowance under the Concessional Workforce test.