The government will be asked to foot the bill as universities report big increases in New Zealand students enrolling.
So far four universities, Canterbury, Victoria, Lincoln and Otago, have revealed start-of-year enrolments.
The three larger institutions have between 9 and 13 percent more full-time local students than last year and Lincoln has 35 percent more.
That is an increase of thousands of students, and more than they have lost in the downturn of foreign enrolments.
RNZ education correspondent John Gerritsen spoke to Susie Ferguson.
