Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm: Commonwealth Regional Scholarship pilot program attracts strong interest

The Albanese Government has delivered 100 scholarships, worth up to $20,000 a year, to families in regional, rural and remote communities to assist with the costs of children attending boarding school.

The funding, provided through the pilot Commonwealth Regional Scholarship Program, aims to support low-to-middle-income families of young, aspiring students from regional Australia to meet the cost of a boarding school education.

The scholarships have been allocated to families who may not otherwise have been able to commit to the full cost of boarding school fees and associated costs for their children. 

Assistant Minister for Education, Senator Anthony Chisholm, said there had been significant demand for the scholarships with 353 applications for the national intake for the 2024 scholarships and already over 260 enquiries regarding opportunities for future scholarships. 

“We’re absolutely committed to improving the educational outcomes for young people in regional, rural and remote communities,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.

“There can be very few, if any, local secondary school options for families in regional and remote communities, while in very remote communities, boarding may be the only option.”

“These scholarships will reduce the financial burden on families and help ensure they can access boarding school as a viable and sustainable option to meet their children’s educational aspirations and interests.

“I wish all 100 scholars the very best for the upcoming school year and hope that you meet your educational goals for 2024.”

The pilot program will provide up to 50 Tier 1 scholarships of $20,000, per student, per year, for up to six years to support low-income families and up to 50 Tier 2 scholarships of $10,000 to students from low-to-middle-income families experiencing financial hardship.

You can find out more about the Commonwealth Regional Scholarship pilot program here.

State and Territory breakdown of successful applicants:

ENDS