About 3,000 students will be admitted this year to the Taras Shevchenko University in Tiraspol, 1,300 of whom will be enrolled on government-sponsored seats. The admittance campaign has already started and will run until July 11 inclusive, Info-Prim Neo's correspondent in the Transnistrian region reports. The candidates may choose from among 8 faculties with 67 specialties. Two are new specialties: vehicle maintenance and physics. The tuition fee rose by 10 percent. Full-time courses cost from $400 to $700 a year, depending on specialty, while correspondence courses cost $200 a year. Natalia Kunichenko, senior deputy rector, says new admittance rules have been introduced. A 100-point scale will be used from now on in evaluating the results of the specialized test, and the stamps 'approved' or 'rejected' for the remaining two tests. The graduation average mark will also be taken into consideration. Kunichenko also said the students in the Transnistrian region may apply for 100 seats available in Ukrainian universities, in contrast to 150 offered las year, and 150 other seats in Russian universities, which is three times the number offered in 2008.