Onslow, Tom Price to benefit from new Regional University Study Hub under $16m Federal Government commitment

The thriving Pilbara Universities Centre will be expanded to cater for students living in the Shire of Ashburton as part of a $16 million Federal Government cash injection to grow the program. Residents in Tom Price and Onslow are set to benefit from the expansion, which will see an Ashburton Regional University Study Hub added to the 34 existing hubs across the country, five of which are in WA. The Ashburton hub will be operated by the Pilbara Universities Centre, which already operates hubs in Broome, Karratha and Port Hedland. It was one of 10 new RUS hubs announced by the Federal Government on Monday, with a further $16m set aside for the expansion. It comes as the Government commits to investing $66.9m to establish 20 more regional hubs, which include the 10 announced on Monday, and 14 new Suburban University Study Hubs. WA Senator Glenn Sterle said he was proud the Government could provide opportunities for young people to further their education in regional WA. “This is a terrific announcement for young people living in regional Western Australia who aspire to study at university but who can’t because of where they live,” he said. Assistant Minister for Education and Regional Development Senator Anthony Chisholm said people from regional and remote Australia were almost half as likely to obtain a university degree compared with their metro peers. “The expansion of the Regional University Study Hub network will remove barriers for more students so they can access a high-quality tertiary education,” he said. “These hubs create a campus-like environment where students can access support, the latest technology, and be part of an engaging learning environment to help them achieve their academic goals, without having to leave their community.” The current 34 hubs support more than 3400 students, studying more than 1000 different courses, through more than 200 tertiary education providers.