By Melissa Blewitt

Tottenham’s Angus Baker is one of 80 recipients of a Royal Agricultural Society Foundation (RASF) Rural Scholarship.
Sixteen ambitious students from the Central West region were named among the deserving scholars.
The RAS Foundation Rural Scholarship program recognises students who are passionate about giving back to their communities through their chosen career, with the Scholarship providing essential funding to do just that.
Angus is currently studying to become a carpenter in Dubbo. This is his third year of study at TAFE, and everything is on track for him to finish this year. He says the scholarship has been a great financial support, and that he plans to return to his hometown once his apprenticeship is completed.
“My family home is in the small rural town of Tottenham, which is around 150 kilometres west of Dubbo, where I am currently completing my carpentry apprenticeship,” he explained.
“It has been a steep learning curve for me, leaving home to start work in another town, and the scholarship has helped enormously with these expenses – I have been able to use the funds to help with payments for my work ute and the purchase of some tools of trade.
“Once I complete my trade, I look forward to offering a service that is needed but not always available in regional communities. I think the RAS scholarship program is a fantastic initiative to help students and apprentices to remain in rural areas, to ensure the future growth and development of our rural communities in Australia.”
His hobbies outside of work include spending time with his dogs, helping with the family farm, skiing, and go-karting. He loves living in the bush and sees a great opportunity for a young tradesman to make a career, as there aren’t many carpenters west of Dubbo.
RAS Foundation Manager Cecilia Logan said this year’s participants were outstanding ambassadors for rural and regional NSW and commended their commitment to building a better future for their community.
“Pursuing higher education is financially draining, particularly if students have to relocate to an urban area or participate in unpaid university placements, which restricts their ability to work,” she shared.
“Our Rural Scholarship program was created to help bridge that gap, ensuring students from rural and regional areas are getting the same opportunity as those living in city centres, and that those skills are going back into regional communities.”
Central West scholarship recipients are studying a range of courses, including veterinary science, dental science and education, and are looking forward to applying their newly acquired knowledge and skills within their local regional communities at the completion of their studies.
This year, the RAS Foundation has increased its funding of full-time students, with scholarships available up to $7,000 or up to $3,500 for those studying part-time. These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of RAS Foundation donors, including Snow Foundation, Quayclean, Sushi Hub and the UNE Foundation.
Over the past 15 years, the RAS Foundation has invested more than $5.4 million into educational scholarships, including specialised scholarships in fields such as regional journalism and the Australian wine industry, supporting over 993 students from across Australia.
Applications for the next round of Rural Scholarships are now open and will close on Monday, 20 October 2025.
The scholarship program is open to students across NSW and the ACT who are currently enrolled or applying for study in an accredited tertiary course at an Australian university, college, or TAFE, with no limits imposed on age or the types of qualifications that qualify.
Aspiring regional and rural journalists and communicators are also encouraged to apply for the RAS Foundation’s JB Fairfax Award for Regional & Rural Journalism and Communications, with applications now open.