The polytechnic has been allocated 3208 Tertiary Education Commission-funded equivalent full-time student (efts) places for New Zealand students this year, and can also fill another 96 unfunded domestic efts.
There is no limit on the number of international students it can accept.
But domestic enrolments are well ahead of the same point last year and staff have asked the TEC for more funded efts to meet demand.
In February, enrolments were 300 efts up on the same month last year.
As of the end of March, enrolments were still 168 efts ahead of last year, according to marketing, communications and customer relations general manager Mike Waddell.
The number of TEC-funded efts places filled at the end of March was 3061.
If the roll cap was enforced, the polytechnic faced having to slash semester two enrolments by up to 40%.
The polytechnic and TEC were "working closely together to discuss options ... and possible solutions", Mr Waddell said.
Semester two begins on July 1.
A decision in May would be a "tight time-frame" for the polytechnic but would not be impossible, he said.
"We feel confident there will be a common-sense solution."
