Regional universities want to entice overseas students

Regional universities are pushing for preferential immigration treatment for their international students as a way to better encourage more of them to go to a regional campus.

While many regional universities contract out international programs in major cities, an increase in full-fee paying international students at regional campuses would help to boost the finances and sustainability of regional campuses.

The Regional Universities Network also argues that greater numbers of international students would help to sustain a greater array of disciplines at regional campuses, as well as increase cultural exchanges and encourage skilled migrants to live and work in the regions.

Under the proposal, which is part of RUN’s pre-election policy pitch to the major parties, international students attending a regional campus should be offered bonus points towards securing Australian residency, especially if they are studying in an area of skills need.

It also wants international students at regional campuses to be offered an extra year of post-study work rights.

“It acknowledges that regional universities are social and cultural drivers as well drivers of economic development,” RUN executive director Caroline Perkins told the HES.

She noted that international students tend to be more interested in some disciplines than domestic students, such as maths and science, and therefore help to sustain these subjects at regional campuses.

As previously reported by the HES, regional universities are also pushing for additional incentives to encourage more domestic students to attend regional campuses. These include possible HECS loans to cover part of a student’s accommodation costs in having to move home to attend a regional campus.

However, the National Union of Students opposed the idea, saying it could lead to a blow out in student debt. Instead NUS president Jade Tyrrell said she would like to see the federal government boost rental assistance for students, and that the union would back increased assistance for students attending regional campuses.

But with both political parties promoting tighter budgets the HECS loan proposal may have more appeal. Current rental assistance in shared accommodation is a maximum of $40 a week for eligible students. Ms Tyrrell said NUS supported RUN’s overall policy agenda to attract more students to regional campuses. (The Australian)