Portfolio — 15 April 2026

Minister for Education Jason Clare travelled to Tumut on 15 April to open the Country Universities Centre Snowy Valleys, the latest addition to the government's Regional University Study Hubs (RUSH) network [TA-260415-educat-3ea38b9c0c2a]. The opening is part of a $66.9 million investment to more than double the number of hubs operating nationally, a commitment Clare framed against the government's long-range workforce target of 80 per cent of workers holding a TAFE or university qualification by 2050 [TA-260415-educat-3ea38b9c0c2a].

The minister anchored the Tumut announcement in a specific regional disparity: while close to half of young Australians nationally hold degrees, fewer than one in four young people in Tumut do — a gap he characterised as an invisible barrier separating regional communities from tertiary participation [TA-260415-educat-3ea38b9c0c2a]. The RUSH model provides on-the-ground university support services and study facilities in communities where geography and distance have historically discouraged enrolment, and the evidence base Clare cited holds that participation rates rise in localities where hubs are established.

Today's Tumut opening signals the program is moving into its expansion phase, with the $66.9 million commitment translating directly into new sites across regional Australia.