UQ aims to level playing field for rural, disadvantaged students

The University of Queensland will focus on offering scholarships to students in remote communities and from tough backgrounds over the next 10 years to even out concerning national statistics.

For regional Queensland students moving to the big city for their dream degree, there’s not only financial barriers, but simple things like understanding Brisbane’s bus network.

The University of Queensland aims to have 30 per cent of all domestic undergraduate students coming from regional, remote or low socio-economic backgrounds within 10 years.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the university aimed to be accessible for every capable student in Queensland, no matter their background or hometown.

“While the proportion of Australians aged 25 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree has climbed from 32 per cent to 43.5 per cent over the past 13 years, the opportunities have not been spread evenly across our society,” she said.

Darby Jones, 29, came from St George in central-southern Queensland.

UQ scholarship recipient and Aboriginal (Kamilaroi) student Darby Jones.

He was so overwhelmed when he first moved to Brisbane that he never started his degree and did hairdressing for 10 years, before giving study another go.

With three UQ scholarships, he is now in the final year of an Arts Degree majoring in writing and anthropology.

“I had spent the first 17 years of my life in a town of 2500 people and when I arrived in Brisbane, it was a lot,” he said.

“I remember not knowing you had to hail a bus, for example. These are the sort of hurdles that country kids face that you just don’t think about. There’s so many challenges outside of university and before you even get to the classroom.”

Shaye Liddell, 21, moved from Bundaberg at 17. She received four UQ scholarships.

UQ scholarship recipient Shaye Liddell (middle) with university students of 2032 – Atticus Yezdani, 8, Sophie Song, 9, Chelsea Dawson, 9, Kaleb Dawson, 10. Photo: Lachie Millard

After changing courses a few times, she stuck with a Health Sciences degree majoring in public health.

“I come from a single-parent family with two younger brothers … the scholarships were life-changing,” she said.

“The mentoring and support I got allowed me to look at accommodation options and how Brisbane works – like the bus system. Bundaberg doesn’t really have a bus system.

“If I hadn’t got my scholarships, I would have probably had to keep working to be able to even afford to go to university.”

UQ educational and social equality researcher Professor Mark Western said the percentage of rural and disadvantaged students getting degrees had been going the wrong way for a while.

“For those from low socio-economic backgrounds we’re talking 17 per cent, regional and remote communities it’s around 20 per cent,” he said.

Professor Western said a multi-pronged approach was needed to ultimately address the issue.

“We certainly need to address the financial barriers,” he said.

“But also, kids in regional and remote communities may not have the subject choices they need to get into their desired degree.

“And if nobody in your family or community has been to university, it is difficult to think it is a possibility for you, so we need to build and support students’ aspirations.”

This week, UQ committed to match any donor or organisation who gives more than $50,000 for endowed scholarships.