CEF is urging students and parents to take advantage of its free and online 2016 Tertiary Scholarships Guide for Rural and Regional Students.

Released on Thursday, the guide contains hundreds of scholarships and grants from more than 20 partner universities and scholarship providers across Australia.

CEF chief executive officer (CEO) Sarah Taylor said it was obligatory reading for families struggling to fund tertiary study, particularly when it required offspring to relocate to capital cities and regional centres.

"Too many rural kids miss out on the opportunity to attend university or TAFE just because of the financial barriers," she said.

"For many, a scholarship could mean the difference between attending uni or TAFE, or not."

Ms Taylor said the guide was one more resource to help students and families make tertiary study possible.

"The real tragedy is that a lot of these scholarships go begging each year, because students don't know about them, or they don't have the confidence to apply," she said.

The CEO said funding from the Origin Foundation, Griffith University and the Bridges University Partnership had made the production of the guide possible.

Director of student services at Griffith University Joanna Peters is advising students to apply for multiple scholarships.

"We all know that education opens a world of possibilities and we also know that sometimes one of the keys to opening those doors even wider is having the resources to support study," she said.

"This guide shows the huge range of scholarships on offer this year. We encourage rural students and their families to make the most of this guide, check eligibility criteria, and apply for as many scholarships as possible."

The guide can be found at www.cef.org.au/scholarships.

The CEF is a "family of over 40 local foundations" in rural and regional locations across Australia.

Each raises money to help school leavers pursue their education and career goals. 

The CEF does not receive government funding and relies on corporate and private philanthropy to fund its work. 

In 2015 it supported more than 460 students with grants worth about $986,000.