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New students welcomed to Semester 1
18 February, 2005
The University of the Sunshine Coast has welcomed more than 1600 new students to its Sippy Downs campus at the start of Semester 1, 2005.
Local school leavers and mature age students alike are taking advantage of having a university on the Coast.
Many of this year's intake would not have otherwise had the opportunity to go to university if USC had not been established.
The financial benefits of being able to stay at home with family while studying and the social benefits of not having to leave friends has meant many people who may not have considered university have enrolled at USC since its opening in 1996.
USC Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Thomas, is pleased the University is meeting its objective of making tertiary study more accessible to people on the Sunshine Coast and surrounding areas.
"The University was established to provide local residents with access to tertiary education," Professor Thomas said.
"It is encouraging to see that the University is fulfilling its commitment with fifty-three per cent of new students this year being the first in the their families to attend University.
"For many, travelling or relocating to Brisbane is just not an option. USC has opened doors for many people who otherwise would not have been able to gain a tertiary education," he said.
Many mature age students, those over 21 years of age, simply cannot relocate to Brisbane due to family commitments on the Coast.
"Those students are now able to enrol at USC, complete a degree, change or begin a new career and not have to spend valuable time commuting to and from lectures and tutorials," Professor Thomas said.
"As the University grows, so will the range of degrees we offer, but our aim will always be to ensure our degrees reflect industry growth areas, that are relevant to the Sunshine Coast and regional areas and lead to better job prospects for our graduates.
"It has been a pleasing start to 2005, despite a national downturn in university enrolments, and USC will continue to strive to ensure it meets and exceeds the higher educational needs of the region while helping to improve and support the Coast lifestyle we all enjoy," he said.