FIFTY-two students from the University of the Sunshine Coast will have the opportunity to live, study and in the Indo-Pacific region under the 2016 mobility round of the Australian Government's New Colombo Plan.

Federal Member for Fisher, Mal Brough said the  USC students were among the thousands of Australian undergraduate students who will be supported by the New Colombo Plan in 2016.

"I am delighted that the New Colombo Plan's mobility program will support undergraduate students from the Sunshine Coast to study in the Indo-Pacific" Mal Brough said.

"The students will benefit directly from these opportunities to live, study and work in the region, deepening their understanding of our neighbours and forging friendships and professional connections that will last a lifetime.

"Our students will return home with new insights and understanding about the region that will help them to contribute to the economic and cultural life of Australia.

The New Colombo Plan involves a scholarships program for study of up to one year and internships or mentorships, and a flexible mobility grants program for both short and longer-term study,

The government has committed $100 million in new funding over five years to implement the New Colombo Plan. For information, visit www.dfat.gov.au/new-colombo-plan or follow @NewColomboPlan