labor to provide 20,000 new uni places

Labor pledges 20,000 new uni places

The Labor Party says it will add another 20,000 places to universities across Australia if it is elected to government.

Opposition's education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says Labor will also abolish full fee degrees for undergraduates.

Ms Macklin has announced the first of the extra places - 2,050 places for universities across New South Wales by 2008.

Of those, 750 places will be available for the start of next year.

Ms Macklin says the extra places are fully costed.

"This is just the first tranche from Labor," she said.

"We will have 20,000 extra places, we'll build up to 20,000 extra places each year, that's across Australia.

"We want to really build up the number of places to meet the demand from students who want to go to university."

Ms Macklin says if Labor wins government it will also stop the Howard Government's 25 per cent rise in HECS fees.

It will abolish full fee-paying positions for Australian undergraduates.

"We'll be increasing the number of HECS places, making sure that students who do qualify for university can get a university place," she said.

"What we don't want to see is students forced into paying $100,000 or even, in some cases $200,000, for a university degree.

"We don't want to force our students into that sort of debt."