Waikato-Tainui's profits are going back to the people with $1 million to be distributed to more than 600 descendants.
Forty six of them are doing masters degrees and a dozen are completing doctoral studies.
The financial assistance follows a solid annual performance from the tribe's commercial arm - Tainui Group Holdings Limited, a property and investment company.
The iwi's asset value is now $925 million.
Over the past decade, almost $50 million has been distributed among tribal members and $18 million of that has gone to Waikato-Tainui marae communities.
