Hundreds of tertiary students from Christchurch are being offered the chance to study in Australia as the New Zealand city recovers from its devastating earthquake last week.

Adelaide University has announced a plan to take up to 500 students from the University of Canterbury to study in Australia for the current semester.

Vice-Chancellor Professor James McWha says the university was keen to help out.

"If they have more than 500 then we'll expand the program and take 1,000 if that's what they've got, but we're working on the basis of up to 500," he said.

"Qantas have very generously come to the party and they've made an aeroplane available and, as I understand it, that would be available this weekend for up to 400 students."

NZ students will not be charged extra tuition fees but might have to pay for accommodation in Adelaide.

But the university is asking its staff, students and former students if they can offer cheap or free accommodation to students choosing to cross the Tasman.

Adelaide says the offer is targeted at first-year undergraduates.

The university says it may put on extra classes in the evenings or at weekends.

Staff member Pascale Quester said she and her colleagues were happy to help achieve that.

"I think staff will handle this differently depending on how close their connection with the University of Canterbury [is], but I think, on the human level, everybody will kind of imagine what they would do if they were in a situation like this and so I think the empathy and the assistance will come naturally," she said.

On Friday it was confirmed about 350 university students from Christchurch would arrive in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.