Tomorrow’s opening of undergraduate scholarships targeting rural allied health students is expected to generate huge demand due to speculation of university fee hikes next year, according to Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH).
Applications for scholarships of up to $10,000 a year to study courses including physiotherapy, social work, speech pathology, podiatry, dietetics, paramedics and other allied health degrees open from 2 September to 3 November.
Last year, SARRAH awarded 208 undergraduate scholarships to students based in rural and remote Australia, with funds provided by the Australian Government under the Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship and Support Scheme. SARRAH currently has five allied health scholarships on offer, including Postgraduate, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Placement and Continuing Professional Development.
SARRAH CEO Rod Wellington said applications were expected to be higher this year across all five scholarships, due to ongoing speculation that proposed changes to higher education in the 2014 Budget could increase student debt.
“We have early indications from social media that many students are looking for extra financial support to attend university next year,” Mr Wellington said.
“Rural families always face more strain to get their children to university, due to the travel and accommodation costs that country students face because they cannot study near home.
“Unlike city-based students, our scholars have to rent in cities and towns with a university, before you even take into account the cost of daily living expenses and university fees.
“The obstacles that many rural Australians have to overcome in order to get to university are insurmountable for many, which is why we need scholarship programs just for them.”
Mr Wellington said it was crucial to keep encouraging rural students to study for allied health degrees because they were more likely to return to rural settings once qualified.
“Once they graduate, young allied health professionals are having a huge impact on rural patients in crucial areas of need such as aged health care, mental health, early intervention and Aboriginal health.”
SARRAH administers five streams of scholarships that aim to attract and retain allied health providers in rural and remote settings. Applications for all five streams are now open on SARRAH’s website www.sarrah.or.au Allied health professions include: audiology, chiropractics, dental and oral health, dietetics and nutrition, diabetes education, exercise physiology, genetic counselling, health promotion, medical radiation science, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathy, paramedic practice, physiotherapy, podiatry, prosthetics and orthotics, psychology, social work, speech pathology, sonography.
Rod Wellington, Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health
