UQ announces $250m target to boost education equity

The University of Queensland has pledged to raise $250 million towards more equitable access to education by 2032, in a community-led initiative that will create lasting change for the state. 

UQ has released The Queensland Commitment Roadmap, a research-backed, comprehensive report detailing 58 actions UQ will take across all student life stages.

Professor Terry said conversations with communities across the state had helped to inform the roadmap and the immediate focus was on students from low socio-economic backgrounds, regional or remote areas, and those identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. 

Following the release of the Australian Universities Accord report, UQ is among the first in Australia to chart how it will comprehensively address higher education access, participation, and attainment for the most underrepresented groups. 

Planned actions aligned to the Accord include partnering with new regional study hubs to deliver teaching and learning programs in regional and remote locations and improving the availability and affordability of on-campus student accommodation. 

By 2032, the roadmap aims to double the annual intake for proven pathway programs such as the Young Achievers Program and InspireU which have successfully supported students from underrepresented and Indigenous backgrounds for many years. 

UQ will continue to expand its partnerships with schools, particularly in regional, remote and underrepresented communities, and build on regional medical and allied training programs with industry and other Queensland universities to grow our rural and regional health workforce. 

“The roadmap articulates how we will continue to work in partnership with government, communities and donors to improve access to education over the next decade,” Professor Terry said. 

“It also outlines how we can adapt as an organisation to help more Queensland people access the transformative impact of education over the next decade.” 

In 2023, 21.3 per cent of UQ’s domestic undergraduate students come from a regional, remote, or low socio-economic background. By 2032, the University aims to boost this to 30 per cent. 

Students identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander currently account for 1.5 per cent of the UQ cohort, and the goal is to increase that to reflect the representation of Indigenous people in Queensland.

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