‘Game changer’: Riverina town Hay to have remote university learning facility

A campus-like learning facility that helps residents complete tertiary degrees remotely is set to open in the Riverina town of Hay by mid-2025.

The Country Universities Centre (CUC) will be funded by the Federal Government after lobbying and a successful grant application by the local council.

It will be located alongside the existing TAFE remote-learning hub in Cadel Street.

The closest university to Hay is Wagga’s Charles Sturt, a three-hour drive away.

The CUC is a hub that provides academic advisers, mentorship, computers, photocopiers and internet access – assisting students to complete both degrees and vocational qualifications from several affiliated institutes around Australia.

“There’s a lot of people in Hay that don’t go to university because they can’t afford it, or their parents can’t afford it,” Hay Mayor Carol Oataway said.

“They need to take a gap year to get the allowance where they can be independent. A lot take the gap year and don’t go on to do the tertiary education.

“There are people who have their lives set in Hay who can’t just up stumps and move somewhere else for four years to get their accreditation. This [new hub] opens up a world of opportunity. It’s a game changer for our town.”

There are now 43 regional remote-learning facilities across Australia, supporting more than 5200 students. This includes both the NSW Government-run CUCs and regional study hubs established by the Federal Government.

CUC facilities have already been set up in Griffith and Leeton, where 819 students have registered over the past five years – 44 per cent of whom became the first in their family to undertake a higher education qualification.

In total so far, 93 students have graduated and completed their courses.

“This will make such a huge difference to people who want to retrain in Hay,” Hay council economic development and tourism executive manager Alison McLean said.

”It’s one of the deficits we have had in our community and it’s going to be amazing to see people being able to work in their home town and study a university degree as well.”

The Hay CUC is one of 10 new study hubs, located across the country, that were announced on Monday (3 February).

“Today, almost one in two young people in their 20s and their 30s have a university degree,” Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said.

“But not everywhere. Not in the outer suburbs and not in regional Australia.

“That’s why we are doubling the number of University Study Hubs, to bring university closer to them.

“We know they work. The evidence is they increase the number of people going on to do a uni degree.

“The Hay CUC is bringing university closer to people who live in Farrer and will encourage more people who otherwise might decide not to go to university at all to give it a crack.”