Concerns that uni fees for agricultural courses in Australia could skyrocket has proved a bonus for New Zealand.

Inquiries from Australian students for agricultural courses across the Tasman have doubled since the Federal Government announced tertiary education reforms.

Jeremy Baker is the Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Business Development at Lincoln University in Christchurch. He says the university has already had 60 inquiries from prospective students from Australia in the wake of the Federal Government's announcement it plans to deregulate university course fees.

Mr Baker says a three year Bachelor of Agriculture course at Lincoln would cost around $50,000 Australian dollars for tuition and accommodation, while the equivalent degree in Australia would cost $120,000.

'We've had a doubling in the number of inquiries for our courses compared to last year... people are looking at the quality and value of what we offer here,'' Mr Baker said.

Current fees for a four year Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales are $9000 per year, just for the tuition. Under the government's planned changes, those fees could go up by 48per cent taking the annual course fee to $13,500 per year.

Australian students studying in New Zealand pay the same fees as domestic students. They do not come under the category of foreign students. But any Australian student wishing to study overseas may not qualify for a student loan.

Mr Baker says graduates from Lincoln University have a very good record of employment in New Zealand and Australia.

'We have a long tradition of Australian students coming to Lincoln... We are keen to welcome Australians and to share our knowledge,' he said.

With different weather, soil conditions, land use, and crops grown in Australia, there is concern agricultural science degrees in New Zealand may not cater for Australia's specific needs.