2021 school leaver and first year University of Canberra student Mason Forrester found moving to the capital from his home in Nowra on the NSW South Coast a relatively smooth process.

A few weeks before classes started, he packed up his car, and, with the help of his friends, made the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Canberra.

Having weighed up other universities in Sydney and Wollongong, he ultimately chose the bush capital for its “big country town feel”.

“You get the city vibes, but also the rural vibes where you can relax, which is why I love Canberra,” he said.

“It is different, the roads are different, I actually prefer the roads up in Canberra, I’m not going to lie,” he smiled. “And the parking, I’ve never paid for parking before.”

Studying a double degree in business, and communications and media, Mason received support and advice prior to relocating through UC student equity and participation program, UC thrive.

Several weeks before moving, Mason came up to meet with a counsellor who gave him a full tour of the campus and answered his questions about timetables, living arrangements, academic assistance, and social opportunities.

“That really broke the ice for the university considering I’d never been on campus,” he said.

“That’s what I like about UC, it’s very inclusive and if you want something, you can pretty much find it.”

So far, fitting in has come naturally to Mason; having attended a few events during O-week and meeting many other students through his classes. He’s also keen to join a few clubs.

“I’m definitely interested in getting involved in as many things as I can, because I get bored sometimes, so it’s good to keep myself busy and help other people out,” he said.

Rural students encouraged to seek help

Country Education Foundation (CEF) impact and communications manager, Nicole Wright, told Canberra Daily the two biggest issues facing rural students relocating for post-school is financial stress and a lack of support.

Sixty per cent of rural and regional Australians have to relocate for study, which places a much greater financial burden on them than most metropolitan students face.

According to Ms Wright, almost 25 per cent of students consider dropping out of university or post-school education due to financial constraints.

“The other big thing we find and hear from students we support is that transition, having to move away from support networks and communities they’ve grown up in is really difficult,” she said.

“They have to leave behind families and friends and jobs … and that’s a really hard thing to move away from.”

With a network of over 40 local foundations across Australia, in 2021 CEF offered 648 grants for rural and regional students, providing just shy of $2 million in support.

Ms Wright said the main advice for regional students relocating for post-school education is to “not be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there”.

“That’s the advice that our alumni and past recipients would give to these students as well, we ask them every year,” she said.

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