A University of Newcastle study, published by the Medical Journal of Australia, revealed that stress associated with the drought was more acute in younger people and was affecting their mental health and wellbeing.

CEF’s ambassador and patron, former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer AC, said with 100 per cent of NSW now drought-declared there was an urgent need to focus on the needs of rural youth.

“There are many crossroads in life, from teenager to adulthood, from student to workplace, and so forth,” Mr Fischer said.

“For country people, these crossroads become even harder to traverse in periods of intense drought and other climate wildcards,” he said. 

“This is exactly where the Country Education Foundation has a vital role to play in its interface with students, to help them through the challenges of academic and practical endeavour.”

CEF provides financial and other assistance to regional, rural and remote students to pursue their educational and career aspirations.

Since its inception 25 years ago, CEF has helped more than 4000 young people attend university or vocational training.

CEF chief executive Wendy Cohen said she anticipated a greater need for assistance for young people.

“Regional, rural and remote students already face a participation gap when it comes to education – they are around seven percent less likely to complete high school or attend university than their city counterparts.

If they do make it to university they face prohibitive transport and accommodation costs,” Ms Cohen said.

“We need to ensure this drought, shaping up as the worst in living memory, doesn’t become yet another barrier to education for a section of the community that already faces inequality and exclusion.”

Ms Cohen said the federal government’s announcement of a $190 million drought assistance package for rural families through the Farm Household Allowance scheme was welcome; however, the $12,000 allotted to individual families would not go far.