The Maori Students' Association at Aotearoa's biggest university says continued tertiary fee increases are driving some Maori away from study.
Universities are setting next year's fees and the Union of Students Associations expects all eight will raise their fees by 4 percent, the maximum allowed by the Government.
Since a freeze on fees was lifted 10 years ago, universities increased their fees by as much as possible each year.
The students' union is calling for all universities to stop raising prices by the upper limit, but the University of Auckland says if fees did not increase it would fall $10 million short next year.
Tyrone Hack, of Nga Tauira Maori based at the University of Auckland, says tangata whenua already having a hard time enrolling because of the cost will be hit even harder by the increases.
Fewer Maori in tertiary education will have a direct impact on the number working in leadership positions, he believes.
