Thirty-one people have missed out on places at the University of Otago this semester as a result of the university's new enrolment cap policy.
The number was considered low, academic and international deputy vice-chancellor Prof Vernon Squire said.
Another 32 students were not accepted because they submitted incomplete applications and failed to provide further information within the deadline, he said.
In May, in an attempt to limit burgeoning domestic roll growth, the university introduced caps on 20 programmes for the second semester, including 10 previously open-entry undergraduate degrees.
Universities negotiate with the Tertiary Education Commission on the number of domestic students the Government will fund, and Otago estimated that even with enrolment caps, it would be carrying between 520 and 550 unfunded domestic students by the end of the year.
Other universities are facing similar roll-growth pressure and the University of Auckland and Victoria University in Wellington have also announced tighter entry criteria this year or next year.
When Otago's semester two caps policy was introduced, it was estimated between 50 and 60 students might miss out on places.
A request for an interview was declined.
In a written statement, Prof Squire said 232 people had applied for semester two places, a smaller number than expected.
Partly as a consequence of that, the number of students declined was also low, he said.
Those who missed out were a mix of part-time and full-time students whose intended areas of study were BA, BSc, BCom and BTheol.
Some might have applied for more than one programme.
The applicants "could not demonstrate the ability to successfully undertake academic study at the university", he said.
They were were a mix of new students seeking to enrol in their first year of study, students seeking to transfer from other universities and former Otago students seeking to return to study, often after some time away.
Asked where those students had gone, Prof Squire said the university did not know.
But he said all were offered the opportunity to discuss their circumstances and potential future study opportunities with divisional course advisers.
Otago will introduce a two-tier enrolment system next year.
Caps will continue on the undergraduate courses limited this semester, while no new enrolments will be accepted in five sub-degree diploma and certificate courses and no places will be kept for "interest-only" students.
Caps will also be introduced for the Summer School and two foundation studies programmes.
Students with strong academic records at secondary school year 12 level or above will be guaranteed entry, but those falling below that standard will have to apply and take their chances based on the number of places available in particular programmes.
"Enhanced admission" places will be offered to Maori and Pacific Island students who do not meet the guaranteed entry criteria.
The university has not yet decided on the exact criteria to be taken into account when considering "tier two" applicants but has said it will be be mainly based on past academic achievement.
Prof Squire said the new policy would be decided on "in the near future" and would be widely publicised.
Did you miss out on a place at Otago? Do you think that was fair? Do you intend to enrol at another university in New Zealand or overseas? Contact allison.rudd@odt.co.nz
