A reliable laptop, stable internet and textbooks are just some of the necessities students need to get the most out of their education.
But as cost-of-living pressures surge, so do the cost of those items.
Nineteen year-old Darci Fish says being a first year university student, it's near impossible to "fork out a couple of grand" on a new laptop.
Fortunately the proud Kamilaroi woman who is studying a Bachelor of Social Sciences at the University of Newcastle, is one of many students to benefit from a new partnership between Greater Charitable Foundation and The Smith Family.
"My mum got me into The Smith Family's Learning for Life (LFL) program when I was 11 and it helped me through all my of high school years," she said.
"It's helped me get laptops and textbooks - things I wouldn't have been able to afford, and it's taken the pressure off not having to use the money that I need to live on," she said.
She also has seven siblings who are being supported through their education by The Smith Family's LFL and Digital Learning Essentials program.
"Growing up watching them get support and seeing how they've developed over time because of what they've gotten from The Smith Family is just wonderful."
Ms Fish said the sponsorship has changed the trajectory of her life and opened many doors for her to studying a career in Law and she hopes to be an advocate for Indigenous Australians.
"Sponsorship has been absolutely critical for my education, without it I don't think I'd be where I am," she said.
Coinciding with International Literacy Day on September 8, the Greater Charitable Foundation announced it will fund essentials for learning from uniforms, bags, books and shoes while providing financial support for 100 new students on the LFL program.
The Foundation will also support 17 students with access to a laptop, reliable home internet access and ongoing technical support.
The latest Australian Digital Inclusion Index data, released in July 2023, shows a growing divide between the country's highest and lowest income households.
"We are seeing gaps ... the risk is that as this digital divide rolls on, young people experiencing disadvantage are less ready to take on opportunities of an increasingly digitised world, and less likely to enter the jobs of the future," The Smith Family's Head of Policy and Programs, Wendy Field said.
Greater Charitable Foundation CEO Anne Long said it was a no-brainer to try help and bridge the digital divide.
"For us, the chance to partner and support young people in the region by giving them the essentials they need to thrive in that digital space was really a key motivator," she said.
