Flinders will receive a $220,000 Federal grant to help more students to access and succeed at higher education.
Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham, announced the Flinders grant as one of 21 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) national priority pool projects being funded across Australia.
“The Turnbull Government is committed to working with Australian universities to ensure improved access to high-quality education and training for all Australian students no matter where they live and no matter their background,” said Minister Birmingham.
“This funding will open up new ways of helping people from disadvantaged circumstances get an education that expands their opportunities, particularly Indigenous students and those living in regional and remote areas.”
Flinders Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students) Professor Clare Pollock welcomed the grant and said the project would include working with students at a minimum of 15 schools in low SES areas of South Australia across metropolitan, regional and rural locations to improve selection pathways for courses offered in the Faculty areas of Science and Engineering, and Education, Humanities and Law.
Andrew Southcott, Federal Member for Boothby, said the Government’s investment under the HEPPP national priority pool projects would help more students access and benefit from tertiary education.
“This project will see Flinders University develop a flexible admissions pathway for students from low-socio economic status backgrounds, giving them better access to a university degree,” Dr Southcott said.
“We know that students from disadvantaged backgrounds often face extra barriers getting into and staying at university and the Turnbull Government is committed to delivering fresh, practical approaches to improving their educational opportunities.”
“Flinders will explore whether developing selection activities such as presentations, problem-solving tasks, mini field trips, group activities and multimedia activities can better assess the creative, analytical and practical intelligence and wisdom of students that would qualify them for study,” Professor Pollock said.
“The project continues Flinders’ longstanding commitment to developing pathways that enhance access to higher education.”