ACT says Auckland University should pay back thousands of students - who did compulsory Treaty of Waitangi and Te Ao Maori courses

The university's senate has now recommended making the courses optional - after criticism from staff, students and politicians.

ACT spokesperson, Parmjeet Parmar, says more than eight-thousand students had to take the course this year.

She says international students paid nearly six-thousand dollars.

Parmar says students had to change courses and push them back because of the paper.