The rural student support fund has already helped scores of students, some of whom were in danger of dropping out. The fund, in its fourth year, is unique to RMIT University. It was created in consultation with students, the university's development office and the Student Services group. The fund has shone a spotlight on rural students and the particular hardships they suffer.
Several programs are now in place to help rural students.
The rural students' association, Outer Limits, meets regularly and can be contacted through Student Services or the chaplaincy. Pamphlets giving advice on financial issues and housing specifically for rural students are distributed during orientation, and Student Services are compiling a booklet, funded by Becton, especially for rural students. Statistical data collected from the first three years of the rural students' support fund are included in a paper, 'The Extra Costs Faced by Rural Students', by John Pittman and Student Services manager Shirley Barker. The paper was presented at the National Equity and Access Conference in Canberra last year. This important paper has begun to redress the dearth of current research pertaining to rural students and their special needs.