Five more University Study Hubs coming to the outer suburbs

The Albanese Labor Government has announced the locations of the next five new Suburban University Study Hubs (SUSHs), bringing university closer to where people live in the outer suburbs. 

A recommendation of the Universities Accord, the SUSHs will help more people from the outer suburbs of our big cities get a crack at going to university.  

The five new or expanded SUSHs will be located in:

• Fairfield, NSW

• Mt Druitt and Emerton, NSW

• Liverpool, NSW

• Inala, QLD

• Beenleigh, QLD

This adds to the 10 SUSHs the Government announced in November, and will bring the total number of SUSHs to 15.

The first 10 SUSHs will be located in:

• Broadmeadows and Epping, Victoria

• Melton, Victoria

• Macquarie Fields, NSW

• Kurri Kurri, NSW

• Elizabeth, South Australia

• Strathpine, Queensland

• Sorell, Tasmania

• Armadale, Western Australia

• Ellenbrook, Western Australia

• Mandurah, Western Australia

All 15 SUSHs are expected to be open by late 2025.

The evidence shows that where Study Hubs are, university participation goes up. 

In addition to the SUSHs, there are now 56 Regional University Study Hubs located across the country.

In total, the Albanese Government is investing $66.9 million to establish more Study Hubs in the regions and in the outer suburbs of our major cities.

These Study Hubs provide student support and campus-style facilities for students who are doing a university degree closer to home. 

The Albanese Government is also delivering a range of further reforms for students in higher education and vocational education, including: 

• Fixing HECS indexation and wiping $3 billion in student debt from around 3 million Australians

• Introducing a Commonwealth prac payment for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students

• Expanding Fee-Free University Ready courses

• Committing to cut a further 20 per cent off all student loan debts, wiping around $16 billion in student debt for around 3 million Australians from 1 June next year

• Committing to raise the minimum repayment threshold for student loans and cutting repayment rates to make the repayment system fairer for all Australians with a student debt by 1 July next year

• Making free TAFE permanent.

For more details visit the Australian Government Department of Education website.

Minister for Education Jason Clare said:

“Almost one in two young people in their 20s and their 30s have a university degree today. But not everywhere. Not in our 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 to uni and finishing a uni degree. 

“Now for the first time, we are putting these University Study Hubs in the outer suburbs.

“I know growing up in Western Sydney I saw a lot of golden arches and KFC and Westfield but not a lot of university crests.

“A lot of my friends felt like university was somewhere else for someone else.

“I want this to change, and that means bringing university closer to where people live.”