Uni students tackle 'character-building' remote living through placements

University students are resorting to camping and caravans to get through mandatory placements. (Supplied)

When nursing student Tarhnee was allocated the location of her two-week placement she was "absolutely devastated".

The 27-year-old was excited to be getting experience in the field but the cost of putting herself up in regional New South Wales, six hours from home, was daunting.

"We started looking at the caravan parks for cabins, and hotel rooms and motel rooms … and the cheapest ones we could find were about $1,800 to $2,000 for the placement, which is just completely out of our budget," Tarhnee told triple j hack.

Tarhnee said student accommodation was not provided and changing the location was not an option either.

"So the next rational thing to do was attempt camping," Tarhnee said.

She said paying about $30 a night for a site at a caravan park seemed like the best and only real option for her to complete the mandatory placement.

As cost-of-living pressures continue to bite some Australian university students have resorted to camping, with one even bunking down with dogs at a veterinary clinic, to afford mandatory placements.

While nurses and midwives qualify for the federal government's paid prac scheme, many allied health and medical students who must complete hundreds, and in some cases thousands of hours of practical placements, are not eligible for the support.

Nursing student Tarhnee did two weeks of prac in regional New South Wales earlier this year. (Supplied)

The National Union of Students says the cost of accommodation is one of the greatest barriers to students completing placements.

It is calling for the Commonwealth Prac Payment to be expanded to all students completing mandatory placements, echoing previous calls made by independent ACT senator David Pocock and Victorian MP Helen Haines.

Tarhnee stocked up on food and water before going on her nursing placement. (Supplied)

Ahead of her nursing placement Tarhnee borrowed a swag and bought some camping essentials.

"We went shopping in the weeks leading up to placement and just got all the tinned food and easy to cook food while they were on special," she said.

"The first day I was full of hope, I had set the campsite up and I was, like, this is going to be great. I like camping as a hobby, why not do it for this?" she said.

But her optimism was soon tested as rain and the reality of her situation set in.

"I woke up at 2am … and I noticed that everything was wet. The swag hadn't actually been weatherproofed properly so it very slowly started to fill with water," she s