Chelsea Reeve and Shannyn Neville are two of the 16 students from the Central West and Orana who have been named as recipients of RAS (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW) Foundation Rural Scholarships.

The foundation says the scholarships, designed to financially support rural and regional students studying at university, college or TAFE, are targeted at those who are passionate about applying their knowledge and skills within regional communities.

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Ms Reeve, who comes from a small sheep property at Limekilns, is at the University of New England, where she is studying her second degree, a Bachelor of Science with Honours.

She says her honours project is based on ram performance "and the impact this has not only on individual farms but also the wider industry".

She hopes to "contribute significantly to the Australian sheep industry and to encourage other young women to become part of the Australian agricultural industry and build their own profile".

Her scholarship has been donated by the NSW Stud Merino Breeders' Association.

Ms Reeve was this year's Royal Bathurst Show Young Rural Achiever Grand Champion.

Ms Neville, meanwhile, recently began her Bachelor of Nursing at CSU Wagga Wagga and hopes to be a registered nurse in rural NSW.

She says rural and regional communities "have a severe shortage of healthcare providers, motivating me to remain in my local community and address this need".

She says she did work experience in year 10 at a hospital where she saw "the impact that nurses have on patients" and this experience fuelled her desire to become a nurse "and I hope to go on and inspire others to follow in my footsteps".

Her scholarship was donated by the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW.

RASF manager Cecilia Logan said the foundation is proud to support recipients in pursuing their dream careers.

"For many regional students, higher education requires them to move away from their homes and families, which can be both emotionally and financially difficult," she said.

"The rural scholarship program aims to make this transition easier by assisting with accommodation and education related costs and allowing students to concentrate on their studies without additional financial stress."

The RAS Foundation says applications for the 2023 RASF Rural Scholarship program will open on July 1 and more information is available at www.rasf.org.au.

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