​The Country Education Foundation has launched the 2019 Scholarships Guide, an online scholarship search platform aimed at helping young rural and regional students access assistance across several institutions. 

The guide began in an effort to bridge the financial gap for those who did not have the luxury of remaining at home while studying. 

Former Kinross Wolaroi School and James Sheahan Catholic High School student Jess Lyon grew up in Borenore before moving to Canberra to study commerce and international relations at Australian National University.

Like many school leavers, she took a gap year to save for university and achieve independent status, but her application for Centrelink assistance was not processed until earlier this month and although she gained a job in hospitality, expenses came as a shock.

“I was working, as well as living off the savings from last year,” she said. 

“My German course has a $160 textbook.”

The 20-year-old heard about the grants from a friend and applied.

“I didn’t think I was capable and ANU’s scholarships are quite hard to get but she encouraged me to own my strengths and experiences,” she said.

She was successful in gaining two grants from CEF, which she uses to cover university expenses and parking costs, allowing her to keep her car. 

CEF chief executive Wendy Cohen said there were hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of scholarships available, but knowing where to look was a hurdle. 

“School leavers from rural and regional Australia have just as much potential as students who grow up in the city but are being locked out of further education because of financial pressures and a lack of access to opportunities,” she said.

“And now with the drought, there is an extra layer of challenge we hope the guide will help students overcome.”

This year’s guide includes student blogs, an interactive personality quiz, tips and tricks for applying successfully and a host of resources from the University of Sydney. 

To access the scholarship guide, click here.

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