Initial indications show student numbers at University of Otago will likely be lower than earlier expected, director of financial services Grant McKenzie says.
Mr McKenzie made the comments in a financial review tabled at the last week's finance and budget committee meeting, saying that if the trend continued it could cause strain on the university's budgets.
''Early indications [are] that the university may not achieve its budgeted level of student numbers for 2013.''
''If this trend continues there will be a detrimental impact on SAC [student achievement component] funding and tuition fee income, which will present a challenge at the 2013 budget review,'' he said in the report.
The university is yet to release any enrolment numbers this year. A university spokeswoman said they would be tabled at this month's council meeting.
