UNSW invites you to join a vibrant educational and research community that has particular support for you as a rural student. At UNSW, we recognise that choosing what you want to study and where to study are always difficult decisions. Leaving your community, your family and your friends can be especially tough for you as a student from a rural community.
The UNSW website has information about the range of study options, support services, scholarships, campus activities and other useful facts about living and studying at UNSW.
Other programs specific to rural students include rural entry schemes, rural mentoring programs and scholarships:
Rural entry schemes
The ACCESS Scheme is for students who have experienced long-term educational disadvantage and whose educational performance has been severely affected by circumstances beyond their control. The types of disadvantage considered under the Scheme include rural isolation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can apply for admission via Nura Gili Indigenous Programs
The Rural Student Entry Scheme to Medicine enables suitable students with a significant rural background to compete for a separate entry quota of up to 50 places.
The Scheme is administered by the Rural Clinical School, which provides active support to all rural students both academically and socially. The rural clinical schools (Wagga Wagga, Albury, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour) also provide an opportunity for UNSW students to complete a large part of their clinical training in rural areas.
Further information about studying Medicine at UNSW can be found on the Faculty of Medicine website
Rural mentoring programs
Many Faculties and Schools support their first year students at UNSW through allocated mentors who provide advice and assistance. Some areas provide mentoring specifically for rural students. Examples include the Law and Taxation Schools in the Faculty of Law, and the School of Art Education at the College of Fine Arts (COFA), who also organise social activities and informal networks for rural students.
The Faculty of Medicine invites their rural students to join its student Rural Health Club, RAHMS and the Faculty's Rural Clinical School - Sydney Campus provides ongoing support to rural students.
It is a good idea to ask your Faculty Office about the mentoring programs they provide when you enrol.
Rural students at UNSW can also participate in the Rural Mentoring Program, which is run from Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Any existing rural student can become a mentor and any prospective rural student can receive the mentoring after they have accepted a place at UNSW. Contact CAPS for details on (02) 9385 5418 or counselling@unsw.edu.au if you have not received a letter about the 1st year Rural and Regional Students Mentoring Program by the time you enrol.
Scholarships for Rural Students
There are numerous scholarships available for first year rural students, see the Scholarships website for the full range of available scholarships.