5 Increasing Access to Tertiary and Higher Education in Rural Communities: Experiences from Tasmania and New Zealand

Abstract Access to higher education (HE) in rural and coastal communities has been a developing area of research over the last two decades. This chapter looks at the particular issues of access and participation facing tertiary institutions in the context of Tasmania (Australia) and New Zealand. Both locations in the southern hemisphere have particular cultural, social and geographical circumstances and are characterised by dispersed rural and regional communities over extensive geographical areas and considerable tracts of remote territory. They share strong similarities to the issues facing access and inclusion in HE in the northern hemisphere and globally.