POST SCHOOL

In NSW, only 55.5% of remote/very remote students completed Year 12 in 2022, compared to 79.4% in major cities. A NSW Government analysis found that 40% of regional students with an ATAR ≥ 75 did not go straight to university, compared to 26% in metropolitan areas. Youth unemployment in some regional areas (e.g. Shoalhaven, Mid-North Coast) has reached 24%, compared to 8% or less in Sydney. Regional students are twice as likely to defer or drop out of university due to relocation and financial stress.