Rural and regional scholarships at UQ

Discover how rural and regional scholarships could pave your pathway to higher education at The University of Queensland.

When you grow up in a small town or rural area, going to university can feel like a pipedream. Sure, moving away from home and adjusting to city life can be just as exciting as it is intimidating. But it’s often the expenses that make coming to uni seem impossible for students in regional and remote areas.

At UQ, we know some of the country’s brightest young minds live in, well, the country. And we believe a world-class education should be available to everyone – not just city kids.

This is why we encourage relevant students to apply for rural and regional scholarships. These can help cover the costs of moving a long distance, finding a home in Brisbane and studying at one of Australia’s best universities. A scholarship can alleviate your financial stress, so you can truly focus on your studies and live your best uni life.

Whether you want to pursue a professional or academic career in the city, or take your learnings back home, UQ gives you the support to soar.

National funding for rural students going to university

Before we dive into the university scholarships for rural students available at UQ, it's worth checking if you're eligible to receive the below payments from Services Australia.

Tertiary Access Payments

Tertiary Access Payments are available via the Australian Government to help regional and remote students who have just finished Year 12, cover the costs of moving to Brisbane for study ($3,000 for inner regional, $5,000 for outer regional and remote, undergraduate only). These payments can also go towards your living and study costs, such as groceries and textbooks.

Fares Allowance

Fares Allowance is another payment provided by the Australia Government to assist rural and regional students with travel costs associated with moving between your permanent home and the university where you study. You must be on Youth Allowance, Austudy or the Pensioner Education Supplement to be eligible to receive Fares Allowance, as well as fulfilling a few other criteria. You may be able to claim up to 2 return trips between your home and university each year of your studies.

Rural scholarships at UQ

UQ offers scholarships for students in rural areas, including rural undergraduate scholarships, and funding for those studying postgraduate coursework or a higher degree by research. Some areas of study such as health, science, business and engineering also offer specific scholarships for students coming from rural and remote locations. To discover what's available, visit our scholarships website and use the filter menu on the left-hand side to tick the 'rural and remote' checkbox under 'scholarship focus'.

You may be eligible to apply for scholarships such as:

• The Alfred and Olivea Wynne Memorial Scholarship, which helps students from Maryborough and surrounds who are experiencing financial hardship (scholarship value varies each year).*
• The Trevor Heath OAM Rural Scholarship, which supports rural and regional students experiencing financial hardship, who want to study Veterinary Science at UQ's Gatton campus (at least $6,000 per year, undergraduate only).*
• The Master of Finance and Investment Management Regional Scholarship, which helps postgraduate coursework students from rural and regional areas who wish to study the Master of Finance and Investment Management ($10,000 one off payment).
• Business School Master of Business Analytics - Rural and Remote Scholarship, which supports rural and remote students experiencing financial hardship, who wish to study the Master of Business Analytics (one-off payment of $5,000 towards tuition fees).
• The Arthur Joseph Deakin Engineering Scholarship, which helps rural and remote students experiencing financial hardship, who are commencing an engineering degree (up to $30,000 for the duration of study, undergraduate only).
• HUB24 Regional Qld Technology Scholarship, which supports first or second year students from a regional area who are experiencing financial hardship and have commenced a degree in computer science and/or IT ($8,000 for one year, undergraduate only).
• Class of 1973 Medicine Scholarship, which helps student from regional and remote areas experiencing financial hardship and undertaking study in the Doctor of Medicine ($4,500 for one year, postgraduate coursework only).
• The Elevate Scholarship: Boosting diversity in STEM, which helps women and non-binary people study STEM degrees ($30,000 to $82,000 depending on study level, people from regional, rural or remote areas are encouraged to apply). *
• The TC Beirne School of Law Leadership, Excellence and Diversity (LEAD) Scholarship, which helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds study the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at UQ ($8,000 per year, undergraduate only).*

*These scholarships are subject to change depending on the time of year and opening and closing dates. If the link to the scholarship is not working, this means applications are currently closed. Contact our scholarships team to see when they'll reopen.

UQ accommodation scholarships

UQ offers a range of scholarships to assist students with accommodation costs. Some are specifically for rural and remote students or those experiencing financial hardship (such as the UQ Residential Scholarship Scheme below), while others are awarded based on academic or creative excellence. 

Find out more about accommodation scholarships

UQ Residential Scholarship Scheme

Our Residential Scholarship Scheme offers support to those experiencing financial hardship, who are looking for student accommodation in order to study at UQ. You only need to submit one application to be considered for 60+ accommodation scholarships. Some are tied to specific on-campus residential colleges and UQ Residences, while others will help you secure student accommodation off campus. 

All UQ scholarships

You might be eligible for more than one scholarship. We offer a diverse range of scholarships for prospective and existing students who:

• identify as LGBTQIA+
• identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• identify as female and wish to study a STEM program
• are living with a disability
• are experiencing financial hardship
• are citizens of another country, wishing to study at UQ
• are non-school leavers/mature-aged
• come from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds
• come from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Don’t let distance or expenses stop you from soaring. Get inspired by discovering how Nathan Sagigi’s scholarship helped him make the move from boarding school in Cairns to studying at UQ in Brisbane.