The funding, announced by the Assistant Minister for Education and Regional Development, the Hon. Anthony Chisolm MP, is aimed at providing domestic and international students with the opportunity to complete tertiary education in regional Australia.

“This initiative contributes to the growth of education in regional and remote Australia, while also offering students the opportunity to experience a great lifestyle in a regional community and giving those towns a share in the social, cultural and economic benefits that international students bring,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.

La Trobe University will receive close to $860,000 over the next four years to deliver the additional 18 scholarships, with each student to receive $15,000 for each year of study.

The Australian Government’s Destination Australia scholarship program seeks to attract and support students to study in regional Australia, to grow and develop regional Australian tertiary education providers, and to offer students a high-quality learning experience.

La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar AO said this initiative has made a significant difference to the University’s local communities since it began in 2020, with the real benefits likely to be experienced for years to come.

“Regional communities continue to experience critical workforce shortages in areas such as nursing, social work, allied health, teaching and engineering,” Professor Dewar said.

The 2024 scholarships will be provided to six domestic students and 12 international students studying courses ranging from a Certificate IV through to a PhD for up to four years, and which are aligned with the Australian Government’s Skills Priority List.

“This is a great way to inject highly skilled, highly engaged graduates, who have come to know and love regional life,” Professor Dewar said.

Under the Destination Australia scholarship program, La Trobe University has awarded scholarships to students from a wide range of countries including India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Hong Kong and the UK, as well as Australia.

“We’ve supported students through a wide range of courses, including nursing, biomedical science, dental science, social work, business, engineering, teaching and IT and computer science – all critical skills for Australia, and particularly for the regions.”