St George Illawara centre Euan Aitken knows his way to the tryline.
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Off the field the Dragons player is also preparing for life after footy thanks to the support of the Graduates of League program.
On Tuesday the NRL and UOW signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to renew the program, which supports NRL players off the field.
Aitken studies Exercise Science at the University of Wollongong.
He hopes to qualify as a strengthening and conditioning coach, and eventually work for a sports club.
The UOW Graduates of League program assigns Aitken a mentor, a high-performing student or recent graduate, who is available for an hour each week.
"Sometimes questions in an assignment or the subject outline can be a little unclear, the program allows me to bounce questions off my mentor, and go through the content in depth," Aitken said.
"It gives you the chance to understand the subject at the same level as someone who's done well."
The program was established in 2012 by UOW's Faculty of Business to support NRL players off the field.
The faculty has decided to once again support NRL players through this program, signing a new agreement with the NRL.
Signatory and UOW chief finance officer Damien Israel said a continuing partnership with the NRL has been of great value to the university and the broader community.
"We understand completing a university degree is no mean feat, particularly for students with significant external commitments like NRL players," Mr Israel said.
"We are reaffirming our relationship with the NRL to ensure that when players eventually retire from the game, they are empowered to enter the workforce with a world-class education under their belts."