Goulburn's successful Country University Centre has been held up as a model in a federal announcement of more funding for the initiative across Australia.
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They allow tertiary students to study degrees online and access technology and support, while living and working in their home towns.
Applications for the first 10 regional hubs opened on Thursday.
Mr Clare said the funding acted on July's Universities Accord Interim Report, which recommended the network's expansion.
"This is principally because regional Australia has a smaller proportion of people with university qualifications than in the big cities and in the years ahead, more and more people will need a tertiary degree," he said.
"These centres do an awesome job in helping people access university when there isn't a campus around the corner."
He said there was clear evidence that where the study hubs were located, rates of tertiary study and completion were higher.
Funding allocations will be based on need, with assessment criteria including the percentage of the population with university qualifications and proximity of tertiary campuses.
The money will support operational costs.
The announcement comes as Goulburn's CUC is planning relocation from the TAFE campus to the former Saint Patrick's Technical School building, opposite Hume Conservatorium in Bourke Street.
Student numbers had grown to more than 220 in the five years since establishment and the TAFE space could no longer accommodate needs, CUC chairman Bob Kirk said.
"We have terrific staff and a great facility but we can't ignore the need to increase visibility, accessibility to the public and to cater for growth," he previously told The Post.
CUC founder Duncan Taylor said Goulburn's centre serviced the largest population. He founded the first CUC in Cooma in 2013, with funding assistance from Snowy Hydro and the council. The network has grown to 18, including 10 in NSW.
"We've always suggested there's a real need for more hubs and it was great the Interim Report recommended this," he said.
"(The funding) is fantastic because the evidence is there that the centres work."
Mr Taylor said it plugged a gap in an environment where universities had lost the appetite to invest in regional campuses.
"Goulburn CUC's need for more space is a good problem to have. Numbers have steadily grown in five years and a new (building) will help build momentum," he said.
As politicians and media swirled around, Naomi Lambert continued her online course. The Goulburn mother of two has been studying a Masters of Professional Accounting through the University of New England since 2021.
"This (study) hub has made a world of difference because I can separate work, home and study," she said.
"My grades have improved because I can come here during school hours and in the evening when the kids are in bed."
She and others said the support from staff and fellow students was helpful. Emily Maclean, who is studying a Certificate IV in real estate practice, says she uses her fellow students in role playing as part of her assignments.
For Jem Jamieson-Hill, the hub allowed him to live and work in Goulburn, while completing a Political Science degree at ANU.
"I find it hard to study at home so it's so nice to have a space," he said.
"I also didn't want to give up my job here. The centre makes it easy to study remotely."
Eligible organisations in regional and remote Australia are invited to apply for the study hubs.. Applications are due by 5pm, December 15, 2023.
Applications will be assessed by a panel as part of a competitive process, with the new hubs expected to be operational from mid-2024.
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