There's disquiet at details being withheld regarding ongoing investigations into tertiary institutions by the Serious Fraud Office.

Labour MP David Cunliffe has been seeking details on ongoing enforcement and has been told five institutions, among them; Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, and the Intueri Education Group, are all under investigation.

However officials have withheld the names of two organisations that are being looked into and he's not happy about it.

Mr Cunliffe said it goes to the well-being of the students concerned, many of whom have paid a lot of money for their courses.

"These poor students have no idea that they have paid their money and that they may get nothing back from it at all."

Mr Cunliffe said students have a right to know who the entities are and he doesn't think naming them would harm the SFO investigations.

He said the SFO has the power to require the production of documents and the timing of an announcement could be managed in such a way that the SFO could have already acquired such material for its investigation.

Mr Cunliffe thinks there are ways this can be handled.

But Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said he won’t be making any pre-emptive comment about individual institutions, as the SFO may find that no laws have been broken.

He said it’s important not to prejudice an institution or cause unnecessary stress to students when an investigation could come back with no concerns.

Mr Joyce said the decision to release a name of a provider under investigation is also a matter for the SFO.