Enrolments for UCOL's Whanganui campus have doubled and the Government's proposed policy to introduce a first year of free tertiary education could be behind the boost.
Campus manager Bronwyn Paul told Whanganui District councillors on Tuesday that enrolments for 2018 were double what they were this time last year.
"That's with students, I think, assuming that their fees are going to be free for next year," she said.
"From a tertiary provider point of view we would rather the free year was in the final year to keep students there rather than the first year when students tend to come and play."
Ms Paul said the campus "absolutely" had the capacity to cope with an increase in students and did not expect a drop in those enrolments if the policy was not implemented in time because students would borrow the money instead.