There is only so much the Government can do to assist low-income families with schooling costs, Tukituki National MP and Commerce Minister Craig Foss says.
While the Government is investing more in education than it ever has in the past, "there's a limit to what the Government can do at the end of the day".
It could, however, combat general affordability issues by fostering higher-paying jobs in the region.
Policies announced in this years' Budget, such as free healthcare for children under 13, would also help to reduce household costs.
Children's Commissioner and Hawke's Bay paediatrician Dr Russell Wills said there was "no quick solution" for families struggling to cover schooling costs.