8 November 2005
Media Release


Joyce supports Scholarship Scheme for Rural Health Undergraduates

The Nationals Senator for Queensland, Barnaby Joyce commends the Commonwealth Government initiative which will assist people from a rural background to undertake studies in an allied health discipline.

The Commonwealth Government will provide funding of $4 million over three years for the new Rural Allied Health Undergraduate Scholarships Scheme for courses such as dentistry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology.

“Rural students are more likely to seek and maintain employment in a rural area after completing their studies. We need to support students from a rural background to help improve future recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in rural and remote areas,” Senator Joyce said.

The scholarship scheme will commence in 2006. Each scholarship will be worth $10,000 for each year of the degree. This will help meet the added costs for rural students of studying away from home. Funding will provide for 65 scholarships in the first year, rising to more than 180 by the third year.

The new scheme complements existing undergraduate scholarship schemes that assist students from a rural background to study medicine, nursing and pharmacy.


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