The 2018-19 federal budget last night included $53.9 million over four years to change the threshold and assessment for parental income.

The cut off for parent income will now be $160,000, up from $150,000, before students can no longer access youth allowance.

Indi MP Cathy McGowan said the measure was a good move to help young people get away to university.

“That’s a really positive one,” she said.

It was the federal government’s first financial response to the review of regional, rural and remote education, which handed down its final report last month with 11 recommendations.

The budget included another $96.1 million over four years to implement more recommendations including $28.2 million to fund 500 extra university students each year from regional, rural and remote communities through the “Commonwealth supported places”.

Ms McGowan praised the focus on regional students, in contrast to last year’s budget.

“Students and their families were disappointed by the increase in university fees announced in the 2017-18 budget,” she said.

“They imposed a further barrier on young people from country areas seeking tertiary education.”

She said this year’s budget did not have much else for youths.

“There’s a real challenge about young people and making sure they stay in the regions and get the jobs that they want,” Ms McGowan said.

The budget also recommitted another $206.5 million over four years for round three of the Building Better Regions Fund, which councils rely on for their big spending projects.

Ms McGowan said the money for aged care – a $60.0 million capital investment to support 13,500 residential aged care places and 775 short term restorative care places – appeared part of a plan for the government to “win back the batters”.

“It’s certainly targeting older people, which is really good. (Aged Care Minister) Ken Wyatt has been a couple of times and we’ve had really good conversations about how we need to do more,” she said.