South West Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) wants Canberra to help create an equal playing field for rural students seeking tertiary education.

Chief executive officer Toni Jenkins said no university campus in Warrnambool would be disastrous.

She said South West LLEN was involved in an eight-year study into rural and regional deferral rates. It found if young people from the country could get to university and get through the first year, they did as well, if not better, than their metropolitan counterparts.

“All they need is the access,” Ms Jenkins said.

“We know there will be some young people who will never take on a tertiary pathway if it’s not available in Warrnambool,” she said. “That would impact on our talent, potential, earnings and ability to be innovative.”

She said mature-aged students, sole parents and people returning to the workforce could also miss out if there wasn’t a local campus.

“We are calling on the government to review how it funds regional campuses and acknowledge the impact of distance and smaller capacity.”

Ms Jenkins said the removal of caps on course enrolments had also impacted on regional universities.

“We know markets are thinner the further from the metropolitan areas, but it doesn‘t mean we are lesser people because we live in smaller populations,” she said. 

“It’s not good enough to put it back on us. The government needs to take a really good look at education provision. It’s not a level playing field at the moment.”