Education and te reo Maori were up for discussion as seven candidates came together for a political Q & A session in Rotorua.
Today's combined Toi Ohomai, Student Pulse and Multicultural Society election forum attracted about 60 students and lecturers out into the midday sun at the Waipa campus to hear from the candidates.
Five Rotorua electorate candidates attended - National's Todd McClay, New Zealand First's Fletcher Tabuteau, Labour's Ben Sandford, Green party's Richard Gillies and Maori party's Wendy Biddle.
Labour Waiariki candidate Tamati Coffey was also there with Maori party's Waiariki incumbent MP Te Ururoa Flavell making his apologies and allowing Mrs Biddle to speak on behalf of the party.
The Opportunities Party candidate for the East Coast, Lesley Immink, travelled to Rotorua for the occasion saying she was there to promote the party vote.
As the candidates discussed their parties' education policies there were cheers of support and quiet boos from the audience.
All parties, except National, wanted to make major shake-ups to the student loan and allowance schemes.
Mrs Biddle said her party wanted a universal student allowance, while Mr Gillies said the Greens would slowly raise the income cap so more students were eligible.
"We have seen the financial sacrifice you're making to upskill," Mr Gillies said.
"I have two boys at home who I hope are going to be entering into the tertiary education market in the next decade and I want them to be able to go in with confidence."
Both Labour candidates and Mr Tabuteau said tertiary students should not come out of university in debt.
"We want to give tertiary students three years of study for free over the course of their lifetime," Mr Sandford said.
Ms Immink said her party would give $200 per week to anybody between 18 and 23.
Mr Tabuteau said New Zealand First would also give a universal student allowance, however tertiary education would come with a non-monetary debt that would be paid off through employment incentive schemes.
Mr McClay said National supported the existing student loan and allowance policies.
All parties hoped to increase funding and grow te reo Maori and Maori culture in Rotorua.
Mrs Biddle said she raised each of her children through kohanga reo and kura kaupapa and the Maori party wanted te reo Maori compulsory in the curriculum.
"This is a passion of mine. We have a vision for a proud bilingual Aotearoa."
The Opportunities Party were the only other party that wanted to see te reo compulsory.
"In conjunction with that education we want to move towards the three Cs, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking," Mrs Immink said.
Mr McClay said it was important all schools had the opportunity to include more te reo, and National would like to see more teachers trained in the language.
Student Pulse general manager Jonathon Hagger said the biggest driver behind the event was that young people made up the majority of non-voters.
"We don't care who you vote for, as long as you vote," he said.
"It was an opportunity for students to hear the candidates talk to them, not just at them."