Education Minister Chris Hipkins says new students can plan for their fee-free study next year in safety.

Cabinet have approved the fast-tracking of Labour's tertiary education policy in order to make a year of study fee-free by 2018.

The new Government also intends to boost all student allowances and student loan living costs by $50 a week in time for the start of the year.

But it is still not clear exactly how the Government will implement the changes within such a short timeframe.

GETTY IMAGES Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Western Springs high school in Auckland during the campaign.

"Officials are working on the details of how these policies will be implemented and to determine who will be eligible to benefit from them, and we are on track for 2018," Education Minister Chris Hipkins said.

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"Students, schools and tertiary providers are understandably keen to know full details. We will make sure they get the information they need in a timely way. In the meantime they can rest assured that the first year of fees free study will kick in next year and should plan accordingly."

"Prospective students and tertiary education organisations should continue to make arrangements for study and enrolments for next year as they normally would. This includes starting, or continuing, any applications for study and/or for student loans or allowances.

"StudyLink is encouraging prospective students to apply by 16 December and to provide their supporting documents promptly to ensure their applications are sorted for the start of the 2018 academic year."

The full three years of free study will gradually roll out by 2024, with a second year introduced in 2021.

Hipkins told Stuff an interim measure would be put in place to deal with study next year before a more robust solution was worked out for the full rollout.

This would likely include some kind of student loan writeoff for those that are eligible for the free year of study.

The free study is only available to those who have not done any tertiary education before.

It covers university study as well as an array of other post-secondary options for permanent residents and citizens. To be eligible for the second and third year the student would have to pass more than half of their courses the following year.

Hipkins expects a 15 per cent increase in the number of people studying thanks to the scheme.

Labour's pre-election costings, which were verified by BERL, put the cost of the policy at $340m per year, along with $270m per year for the boosts to student support.

Outgoing tertiary education minister Paul Goldsmith described the policy as a far too expensive on the campaign trail.

"It isn't fair to ask hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders – who haven't had the benefit of tertiary education – to pay more in taxes just to support those who do."

"For more than 25 years – and successive governments – students have made a modest contribution toward their study, while the community picks up around 80 per cent of the cost. National thinks this is fair."