Regional University Study Hubs Program

This program, formerly the Regional University Centers Program, aims to improve access to tertiary education for regional and remote students.

For the purpose of this program, a Regional University Study Hub is a community-owned/community-based facility that provides support to regional and remote students studying at any Australian tertiary institution.

The objectives of the program are to:

• Enable students in regional and remote Australia to access and complete tertiary education without having to leave their community.
• Meet a demonstrated gap in support for study in a regional, rural or remote community.
• Support students who wish to stay in their community while they complete their course of study.
• Enhance the experience of students studying within their own community.
• Encourage strong links between the Centres and other organisations in the area, including other support services that students may access and industry.
• Complement, rather than replace, existing and planned university investments and activities in regional areas, such as satellite campuses and study centres.

The program takes a place-based approach to establishing and operating each facility, allowing local communities to drive establishment and operations based on community need. Each regional university study hub reflects the community it serves and is established with consideration of:

• Its geographic location in relation to the community.
• The population size, demographic and cultural needs of the local community.
• The local industry and businesses in the area and the skills they need.
• The location of local TAFE and VET providers and other educational offerings.
• Distance from existing university provision.

There are no specified minimum and maximum funding limits. The Department has undertaken analysis of the median funding figures reported by existing regional university study hubs, to support applicants in determining an appropriate funding request:

• $309,620: Commonwealth grant funding - operational (the amount received from the Regional University Study Hubs Program)
• $458,696: Estimated operational cost (the total amount involved in operating a regional university study hub, including other sources of income)

Funding amounts vary based on the local context, service offering (for example, a satellite hub or hub connected with another local service) and contributions from other sources, including in-kind contributions. Applications which demonstrate funding or in-kind support from other parties such as local and state/territory government, industry or education partners (such as universities) will be viewed favourably in the assessment process.

The Government announced $66.9 million in additional funding to double the number of university study hubs across the country, including expanding the concept to outer metropolitan/peri-urban areas (suburban university study hubs). This includes the establishment of up to 20 additional regional university study hubs across two streams:

• Stream 1 (Cohort 4): Up to ten regional university study hubs in 2024. Applications closed 15 December 2023, 5pm AEDT.
• Stream 2 (Cohort 5): Up to ten regional university study hubs in 2025. Applications opened 21 August and close 18 October 2024, 5pm AEDT.

Eligible costs include those associated with the establishment and ongoing operations of the regional university study hubs, supporting its primary functions of:

• Providing support for students to remain in their community while undertaking tertiary education through the provision of appropriate facilities and support, free of charge.
• Undertaking activities to promote higher education access and participation generally within the region, such as outreach to secondary schools to nurture aspiration.
• Contributing to meeting regional workforce needs, for example, through participation in planning and workforce development initiatives with local industry, government, and nongovernment agencies.
• Developing innovative ideas to meet student needs and sharing these ideas and best practices with other regional university study hubs, including through involvement with the Regional University Study Hubs Network.
• Forming partnerships with education and training providers, state and local governments, industry, and other regional entities.

Eligible regional university study hubs must:

• Provide the following:
  1. Infrastructure such as study spaces, break out areas, video conferencing, computer facilities, internetaccess.
  2. Administrative and academic support services such as developing writing and researching skills and managing administrative processes.
  3. Student support services such as general wellbeing support, study advice, help accessing student services, supporting students with paid placements and work integrated learning, careers advice.
• Be in a regional or remote Australian location based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Australian Statistical Geographic Standard Remoteness Areas (ASGS) classification. To be regional or remote, Regional University Study Hubs must be located in one of the following remoteness area classifications:
  1. Inner Regional Australia (RA1)
  2. Outer Regional Australia (RA2)
  3. Remote Australia (RA3)
  4. Very Remote Australia (RA4)

Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Regional or remote requirement: Regional university study hubs (including all sites for multi-site hubs) must be established in a regional or remote area of Australia. The ASGS classification of current or anticipated hub locations can be determined using the online ABS Maps tool.
• Body corporate requirement: Applicants must provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the department that their organisation is, or can become, a body corporate.
• 'Fit and proper person' requirement: Regarding an organisation, the 'fit and proper person' requirement focuses on the organisation's business and financial affairs and on its compliance with relevant regulatory schemes.
• 'Community owned' requirement: Applications should include evidence that the applicant organisation is 'community owned'. Applicants can include group-mart configured references. The evidence could include any of the following: 
  1. The organisation's Articles of Association.
  2. Documents that show that the governing body of the organisation draws the majority of its members from the local community where it operates or from the local community that it would serve.
  3. Documents showing that the organisation is prevented from distributing its assets or profits to individual members, both while the organisation is operating and if it ceases to operate or is wound up.

Please refer to the Application Guide for the complete eligibility requirements.

The main assessment criteria include whether the application:

• Responds clearly with evidence that supports claims against each assessment criteria.
• Meets the overarching program objectives.

Purchase of property or land are ineligible for funding.