Maori tertiary educators warn that Maori students are being hit hardest by government policies and say the situation will get worse.
Speakers at a conference in Wellington on Friday criticised the impact of the Government's cap on funding for student enrolments and plans for minimum course completion rates.
Linda Tuhiwai Smith of Waikato University said the funding cap meant universities were making it harder for students to progress from one of study to the next.
She said that was pushing more Maori out of tertiary education.
Keith Ikin of Waiariki Institute of Technology said Maori would be hurt by tagging funding to course completion rates.
Mr Ikin said that would encourage tertiary institutions to avoid Maori because they had higher failure rates than non-Maori.
