Like many of her peers, Jordyn Causer moved away from Wodonga to study Osteopathy at RMIT in Melbourne.

The 18-year-old works two jobs at Pancake Parlour and Telstra, studies full time and received an Indigenous Accommodation Scholarship to assist with her rental costs. 

But even so, money is tight and working interferes with her studies.

“When I moved away I got a job as soon as possible because I knew it was going to be a struggle,” she said.

“I’ve seen my roommates have struggled a lot more because they didn’t have scholarships and had to go back to home for work because they couldn’t find a job in Melbourne.”

Miss Causer and her roommates aren’t alone with the 2017 Universities Australia Student Finances Survey – released this week – showing those from a rural background face more financial hardship at university and experience higher living costs.

La Trobe’s Pro vice-chancellor of regional campuses, including Wodonga, Richard Speed said whether people from the regional areas move to cities, or stay close to home to study, they face additional costs.

“It was not a surprise students are making sacrifices,” he said.

“The stereotype of a uni student staying in bed until lunch and living on junk food went away a long time ago. 

“One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is that there are many students who are making exceptional investment in their own and their family’s future through study, and their determination to achieve that is breath-taking.”

National Union of Students president Mark Pace said the survey of more than 18,500 students revealed one in seven, or 15 per cent, were going without food and necessities, a figure that jumps to 19 per cent for those who completed school outside urban centres. 

“One in a million students choosing between food on the table and their education is too many, let alone one in seven,” Mr Pace said.

“There hasn’t been an increase to Newstart in real terms for 24 years. The single rate of Newstart is $278 per week, when we know essentials, such as rent and food cost $433.

“The government must prioritise increasing income support.”

The survey found the 83 per cent of Australian students support themselves through work but a quarter of students regularly miss classes to work, and 52 per cent believing work has a negative impact on their studies. 

Despite being more likely to receive government assistance and having a higher median income than their city counterparts, students from regional areas face significant shortfalls between their income and expenses.

Regional students are nearly twice as likely to defer their studies as they can’t afford it, 13 per cent, compared to 7 per cent student from major cities.

“It definitely affects your studies,” Miss Causer said.

“Sometimes I’ll finish at Pancake Parlour at 1.30am and have to get up for a 8.30am lecture in the morning.

“It’s a lot of stress, especially if you do miss a lecture and have to catch up. 

“There’s not much else we can do, you need to work for money, there’s no alternative.”

Miss Causer said her roommates and herself definitely sacrifice, stalking the supermarket for sales, going without high-end make-up and often simply eating toast. 

“People who are from Melbourne originally and decided to live in the uni residence, they can go back home if they run out of money or if they’re lonely,” she said.

“It’s difficult for regional students.”

RELATED: 

La Trobe’s Dr Speed said the lack of reliable public transport in regional areas and small towns meant many people studying outside of major cities must have a car to attend university and pay for petrol. 

“The student body is all spread out, they don’t all live on the train line,” Dr Speed said.

“One constant issue raised with me in communities is the paucity of public transport.”

Dr Speed said students in regional areas often enter tertiary education later in life and have children, partners or parents depending on their income – making the balance of work, study and money even harder.

“The population of regional campuses is not 18-year-old school leavers, that is less than half of everyone,” he said.

“It’s a diverse community, people face a number of additional problems other than just facing exams.”

Dr Speed said every year La Trobe staff participate in a staff giving project, wherein they can donate part of their salary to help students in need.

He said staff in regional campuses were always particularly generous. 

In the past the funds have been used to buy students a meal and even buy someone walking hours a day to childcare and university a car. 

“The last thing we want is someone to drop out in hardship circumstances,” Dr Speed said.

A Charles Sturt University spokeswoman said a lack of readily available public transport options requires students to maintain their own reliable vehicle.

She said 90 per cent of living expenses for those who completed school regionally was consumed by housing, groceries and loan repayments. 

The spokeswoman said in recognition of this CSU was reducing the cost of their on-campus accommodation to provide secure and affordable homes. 

Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said 64 per cent of regional students said their financial situation were a source of worry, with many moving to another city to study.  

“That can put an extra strain on regional students’ finances — their spending is 45 per cent higher than their classmates from the major cities,” she said.

“They aren’t always able to pop home to mum and dad’s place for dinner or to get a load of washing done — and even those small supports can sometimes make a difference for a student in financial hardship.

“Our students should have the basic financial security and stability to perform at their best. Yet that’s simply not the case for many students from regional backgrounds.”

Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here