New funding has been announced to help students from remote Indigenous communities attend boarding schools.

Legislation for a $6.8 million funding package has been introduced this week.

The funds would flow to non-government schools with more than 50 Indigenous boarding students.

The high cost of providing boarding and tuition for remote Indigenous students has been raised by many schools, and confirmed in independent reviews.

“Under the Bill I introduce today, more funding will be available to schools that currently have more than 50 Indigenous boarding students from remote or very remote Australia, or where more than 50 per cent of their boarders are Indigenous and from remote or very remote Australia,” Education Minister Christopher Pyne said.

Minister Pyne said the Australian Education Amendment Bill 2014 delivers “sound administration” and extra funding as part of the Australian Government’s Students First approach.