Melbourne Graduate School of Education HIGHER EDUCATION IN REGIONAL AND RURAL VICTORIA: DISTRIBUTION, PROVISION AND ACCESS Jenny Chesters, Hernan Cuervo and Katherine Romei AUTHORS Dr Jenny Chesters A/ Prof. Hernan Cuervo Ms Katherine Romei The University of Melbourne ISBN: 978 0 7340 5590 3 Date: May 2020 Youth Research Centre Melbourne Graduate School of Education The University of Melbourne, Vic 3010 To cite this report: Chesters, J., Cuervo, H. and Romei, K. 2020 Higher Education in Regional and Rural Victoria: Distribution, Provision and Access. Youth Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Youth Research Centre The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Youth Research Centre, the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, or the University of Melbourne. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This report was funded an MSGE 2019 Development Award granted to Dr Jenny Chesters. Photos: Jenny Chesters. 2 Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education CONTENTS 1. Introduction 4 2. Literature review 6 3. Higher education in the regions 8 4. Availability of courses in regional Victoria 15 5. Conclusion 16 6. References 17 7. Appendices 19 Access to university 3 1. INTRODUCTION Research indicates that students living in regional, rural and Equality of opportunity is dependent upon the availability, remote areas may be disadvantaged on at least two levels: family accessibility and affordability of study options in one’s local socioeconomic status (SES) and geographic location. Due to community (HREOC 2000), therefore, without access to educational changes in the labour market that have resulted in an increasing opportunities, regional and rural students may be unable to fulfil demand for university-educated workers across Australia, the their aspirations for further studies after completing secondary concentration of higher education institutions in capital cities school. perpetuates inequalities related to location. Despite policy efforts to increase the number of young people completing higher In 2017, the proportion of the undergraduate student population education degrees, students living in regional, rural and remote with a family home address located in regional/ remote areas locations continue to lag behind their metropolitan counterparts ranged from 11.9% in Western Australia to 69% in the Northern in terms of educational outcomes (Bradley et al. 2008; Halsey 2018; Territory (DESE 2020). In Victoria, the percentage was 18.4%. Table James et al. 2008; RRC 2011). As contemporary labour market 1.1 lists the percentages of non-urban students for each university opportunities in regional and rural areas are more likely to be in the located in Victoria. The University of Melbourne, Monash University, service sector, access to higher education has become increasingly Deakin University, La Trobe University, RMIT, Swinburne University important for regional and rural youth (Kilpatrick et al. 2019). of Technology and Victoria University are located in Melbourne. Federation University is based in the second largest regional city It has long been established that one of the main barriers to in Victoria, Ballarat. It also has campuses in suburban areas of engagement with higher education studies is the lack of family Melbourne and in Churchill, located in the Latrobe Valley. Apart resources (Bradley et al. 2008; Halsey 2018; James 2002). The from its main campus in the Melbourne suburb of Burwood, Deakin extra financial costs for low SES students who want to relocate University also has campuses in the largest regional city in Victoria, to continue their education means that they need financial Geelong and in nearby Waurn Ponds as well as in Warrnambool. La support from their families and/ or a paid job. Although some Trobe University is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora claim that students located in regional, rural and remote areas and also has campuses located in Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, lack aspirations to engage with higher education (Bradley et al. Mildura and Shepparton. Albury-Wodonga also hosts a campus 2008; Halsey 2018), others have found that young people do not of Charles Sturt University. The twin cities of Albury-Wodonga lack aspirations for university study, rather they lack access to straddle the border between Victoria and NSW. universities (Corbett & Forsey 2017; Cuervo et al. 2019; Dalley-Trim & Alloway 2010). TABLE 1.1 PERCENTAGE OF STUDENT POPULATIONS FROM REGIONAL/REMOTE AREAS IN VICTORIA IN 2017 University % of students from regional/remote areas Victoria University 8.3 RMIT 10.1 Monash University 11.0 University of Melbourne 12.6 Swinburne University of Technology 16.9 Deakin University 23.0 La Trobe University 31.0 Federation University 65.3 Victoria overall 18.4 Australia 21.7 Source: DESE (2020) Higher Education Statistics, Institutional Student Equity Performance Data, 2009 to 2017 4 Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education Access to university 5 2. LITERATURE REVIEW The under-representation of students from regional/ rural Traditionally preparation for university during senior secondary Australia is a well-known feature of the Australian tertiary school can be hampered by the availability of subjects in regional, education landscape (Bradley et al. 2008; James 2002; Productivity rural and remote schools (Cuervo, 2016; Halsey 2018; HREOC 2000). Commission 2019). Students from non-urban areas are also more The challenges that rural schools encounter as they endeavour to likely to belong to other under-represented groups such as low SES prepare students for higher education often include: limited resources; students and first-in-family students. Analysis of enrolment data transient teaching staff; and staff not qualified to teach in specialist by Baik, Naylor and Arkoudis (2015), shows that 52% of students areas (Halsey 2018; Woodroffe et al. 2017). For example, students in attending regional universities were from low SES families and 37% non-metropolitan areas were less likely to have access to specialist were also the first in their family to attend university. Researchers science or mathematics subjects (Murphy 2018; Murphy 2019; Webb et have examined various reasons for these statistics including: al. 2015). The difficulties that rural schools encounter when trying to aspirations; educational attainment at the end of secondary recruit qualified science teachers results in students not being able to school; and financial and other costs. study subjects such as chemistry or physics which are prerequisites for access to university degrees in science and science-related fields such as engineering (Murphy 2018). Cuervo and Acquaro (2018) argue that the challenge of staffing specialist subjects such as Maths, Environmental Studies and Information and Technology impacts the quality of the education that schools in rural areas are able to provide (see also Harvey & Walsh 2018; Murphy 2019; Qin & Bowen 2019). 6 Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education The argument that regional/ rural students are less likely to hold aspirations for university study has become less salient over time. As Webb and colleagues (2015) note, aspirations for higher education are hostage to practical and financial constraints faced by regional/ rural students (see also James 2002). Mirroring the national findings from James’ (2002) study, their research shows that distance to the closest university campus continues to be a key factor in the decision-making process. Students from low SES families face additional challenges when travelling long distances or relocating. Although around one quarter of students in regional areas seeking to engage in higher education relocate to metropolitan areas (Cardak et al. 2017), those with lower- educated parents were less likely than their peers with at least one university-educated parent to do so (NCSEHE 2017). One study conducted by Parker and colleagues (2016) found that the likelihood of university enrolment was dependent upon distance from a university campus: the further the student lived from a university campus, the less likely they were to enrol. Financial costs associated with relocation to a metropolitan centre are a significant barrier to attending university (Bradley et al. 2008; Cardak et al. 2017; Friesen & Purc-Stephenson 2016; Godden 2008; Halsey 2018; James 2002; Polesel 2009; Polesel and Klatt 2014). Non-financial costs are also an important consideration. For example, the emotional cost of having to construct new social networks and develop a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar setting may deter potential students from relocating (see Cuervo 2016; Cuervo & Wyn 2017; Gale et al. 2010; O’Shea et al. 2019). The alternatives to moving to a metropolitan area include relocating to another regional area; studying one of the degrees on offer locally; or not engaging in higher education. As Robinson (2012) notes, regional/ rural youth wishing to study close to home may need to limit their career aspirations to the programs offered at their local campus. Outside the metropolitan areas, program and career options can be restrictive, particularly for students wishing to study, for example, engineering degrees. Furthermore, commuting